This week, several organisations including the Manx Retirement Organisation, Port-e-Chee District Guides and Anagh Coar Primary School were lucky enough to enjoy a presentation from June Bray, a registered speaker for Hearing Dogs along with her dog, Pippa.
Guy Wolstencroft, manager of Manx Hidden Hearing said: ‘Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a charity close to our hearts and we are delighted to welcome June and Pippa back to the Isle of Man to raise awareness of the charity. Hidden Hearing is currently donating £5 to Hearing Dogs for every free hearing consultation carried out at the Onchan clinic.”
Launched at Crufts in 1982, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People trains dogs to alert deaf people to specific sounds, whether in the home, workplace or public buildings.
June, who is deaf, lives with her husband and they have enjoyed the company of Pippa for 6 years, “Pippa has made a huge difference to our lives – my husband doesn’t need to worry about leaving me in the house anymore as Pippa can alert me to any sounds from the door bell to the smoke alarm. She has given me much greater independence, confidence and security”.
June spoke about the comprehensive training process the dogs go through from basic obedience classes to an intensive sixteen week reward based training course.
She explained: “Hearing Dogs for Deaf People relies solely on fundraising. To date it has trained around 1,500 hearing dogs, at a cost of approximately £20,000 each. However, demand is high – one person in seven in the UK suffers from some form of hearing loss and over 650,000 of these could benefit from a hearing dog. The waiting list for a dog is currently over 2 years”.
To find out more about supporting Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, visit the website www.hearingdogs.org.uk.
