Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

You miss a knock on the door. You don’t hear your baby crying in the next room. You can’t follow conversations, so you withdraw from social situations and feel isolated. Your safety is at risk because you can’t hear the smoke alarm going off. 

For many deaf people, this is an everyday reality.

1 in 3 people experience deafness, hearing loss or tinnitus in the UK. Deafness can be isolating, frustrating, and overwhelming. It can reduce confidence, independence, and mental wellbeing. Simple moments that many people take for granted can become stressful, exhausting challenges for deaf people.

But they don’t have to face them alone.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a national charity that rebuilds deaf people’s confidence, companionship, and their connection to the world around them. 

We train dogs to alert deaf people to vital sounds they would otherwise miss, such as smoke alarms, intruder alarms, alarm clocks, and even sounds of a baby’s cry. Our highly skilled dogs also provide love, companionship and emotional support, and this combination of practical support and lifelong friendship can be completely life-changing.

We also provide a range of other support services that help thousands of people who are deaf or have hearing loss overcome the emotional and practical challenges they face.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People are creating a future where everyone with hearing loss can live well. We believe every deaf person deserves to feel connected to the world, confident living their daily life and supported by a sense of community. With your help, we can make this happen. 

Being a dog owner myself, I know the huge benefits dogs can bring to people’s lives.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a national charity that's very close to my heart. My Dad’s a vet and was one of the people who founded the charity in 1982.

The charity's mission is to rebuild connection, confidence and companionship for those with hearing loss by offering support services and specially trained hearing dogs, who transform the lives of adults and children. I’m extremely proud to be a Patron for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and as a result, I’ve seen how these extraordinary animals can transform lives, giving people independence and the chance to live well with hearing loss .

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is funded by donations and as you'll see in this appeal, the charity's work really is life changing. Your support will make a huge difference

Joann was shaken awake in the early hours of the morning by her six-year-old grandson, to find her house filled with smoke – his brother had tried to make breakfast and had put it in the microwave for 90 minutes. It was only after she’d managed to get her grandchildren out of the house to safety that she realised how close they could have come to disaster. 

Joann’s confidence shattered in an instant. She fell into a depression, felt like a liability and shut herself off from her family. She didn’t sleep, knowing for certain now that if the smoke alarm were to go off, she wouldn’t hear it.

Now, her hearing dog Dudley’s reliable nose nudge wakes her if any danger alarms sound, and since his arrival Joann’s confidence as a grandmother, and in many other areas of her life, has been restored.

Becoming deaf overnight at 13 was a scary and isolating experience for Alison. Communication challenges saw friends vanish, along with her self-esteem.

At school, teachers dismissed her deafness. Despite having to navigate a very difficult time, Alison pursued her dream of going to university, but this wasn’t the fresh start she’d hoped for. Instead of forming lifelong friendships, two of her peers started rumours that she was faking her deafness.

Under the weight of others’ ignorance, she spiraled into depression.

When Damson came into her life, Alison felt at peace for the first time. Her constant push against mockery and isolation began to ease. She felt like she could do anything with Damson by her side. 

Damson helped open up a new world of connection for Alison. With her canine ‘ears’ and best friend beside her, she made new friends, met her partner while on a dog walk, learnt to drive, moved out of her parents’ home and pursued the career she wanted.

Lucy lost her hearing suddenly as a teenager after being diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease. Almost overnight, she went from being a healthy, happy student, with a part-time job and an active social life, to barely leaving her home. At her worst points, she would sleep as long as possible so there were fewer waking hours in the day.

Lucy has always been close to her supportive family, but as soon as she wasn’t with them, her anxiety and feelings of isolation would return. Lucy got to the point where she wasn’t enjoying life and knew things had to change. That’s when she applied for a hearing dog.

From the day Lucy met Wilbur, they have been inseparable. Their first walk in the park marked a turning point for Lucy after years of isolation. With Wilbur’s constant companionship, Lucy no longer feels that she is on the sidelines of life.