What is a Hearing Dog?
Hearing Dogs alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing to everyday sounds like the smoke alarm, telephone, or doorbell. The vast majority of our over 850 graduate dogs came from shelters or rescue groups. Although we will always emphasize Hearing Dogs, we also train dogs for people with multiple disabilities.
A few years ago, we placed a happy Golden Retriever who would alert his person to a guest at the door and then open the door to let them in. We also trained a “dual dog” who was a Hearing Dog at home and a Guide Dog in public for a man who was blind and deaf.
"The Five Pound Lifesaver"
t was the middle of the night when a little 5-pound Hearing Dog named “Izzy,” suddenly ran down the hall and tried to awaken her owner’s teenage daughter. Izzy leaped on the
bed, jumped on her and dashed back toward her mother’s room. When that didn’t work, Izzy returned and did it all again. Her message? Follow me!!
Following Izzy into the bedroom, the daughter quickly realized her mother was having a major seizure. An ambulance quickly arrived and raced to the hospital where the owner was rushed into surgery to remove a brain tumor.
After a successful, life-saving operation, the surgeon entered the hospital room, shook his head and said, “If that little dog hadn’t awakened your daughter, you would have died.” Yes, little Izzy had saved her life!
Only a few Hearing Dogs will be called upon to save someone’s life. But they all greatly enrich lives – helping people with disabilities become more fulfilled and independent.
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