(Updated 3/7/01)

The future's looking rosy for Blue!

An alert looking Blue enjoying life in Luton!

Blue by name but hopefully not by nature – if Hearing Dogs for Deaf People have anything to do with it!
In January of this year a litter of six mongrel puppies, including Blue, were found in the back garden of an empty house on the Norfolk borders. The owners had moved out and left the pups padlocked in an aviary without any food, water or shelter from the bitter cold. They had been there at least 36 hours, during which time it had been snowing.

The litter were in such a terrible state that Wisbech Animal Rescue took them in and nursed them for four weeks. It was then that they contacted Hearing Dogs, and Dog Assessor Jane Hazlewood went to see them. Hearing Dogs for Deaf People trains carefully selected dogs to alert severely or profoundly deaf people to the everyday sounds that hearing people may take for granted, such as alarm clock, doorbell, smoke alarm and telephone.

Jane immediately saw the potential in Blue, who was so named due to his unusual blue-grey coat, and he was selected. Blue is now living with a socialiser in Luton, and will stay there for a few months until he is ready for training at the Hearing Dogs Centre in Lewknor. If all goes well, he will be matched with a deaf person and like all Hearing Dogs will not only be their ears, but will also provide companionship and independence. In short, he will make a real difference to their life.

So after such a black start to his life, Blue is now really in the pink!

l Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a registered charity that selects and trains dogs to respond to specific sounds.

Hearing dogs alert deaf people by touch, using a paw to gain attention and then lead them back to the sound source. For sounds such as the smoke alarm and fire alarm the dogs will lay down to indicate danger. Hearing Dogs for Deaf People provides a national service and no charge is made to recipients. Since its inception in 1982, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has placed nearly 700 hearing dogs. The Charity has three centres operating in the UK.

For further information contact: Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

Email: info@hearing-dogs.co.uk

The Training Centre Fax: 01844-353099 London Road (A40) Lewknor Oxon OX49 5RY

or visit Hearing Dogs for Deaf People’s Web site at www.hearing-dogs.co.uk