Why Hearing Dogs?

Many people have asked us why we have chosen to run for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. I think some people wonder why we have not chosen a strictly medical charity, or something with a closer personal link (as we both have form for that!). When we decided to take on this challenge, we drew up a shortlist of charities that we thought we might like to run for. Some of them were dependent on both of us getting places in the ballot (which didn't happen), but it became quite clear that we both like charities that help people and charities that help animals. Our ideal cause would, therefore, have to be something that helps both people and animals.

I had always assumed that Hearing Dogs for Deaf People was like guide dogs (for blind people), only for deaf people. This is in part true - they do provide dogs to people with impaired hearing and the dogs help with practical things, such as alerting their human friend to a fire alarm or doorbell. However, on reading more closely, we discovered that the charity gets about seventy per cent. of its dogs from rescue organisations. This means that it also ticks our "helping animals" box. Not only does it help the dogs who are selected for the Hearing Dogs training programme, but it also helps other unwanted dogs who are not suitable to be Hearing Dogs as it frees up space in the shelters for them. Being a "big sister" to a retired racing greyhound (my parents' lovely Emma) has made me passionate about every unwanted dog (or cat, or budgie...) being given a second chance.

The most important thing, though, in the list of "things people don't know about Hearing Dogs" is the emotional and psychological impact they can have on the life of a deaf person. Some deaf people feel isolated and lack the confidence to participate in what they see as "normal" activities - for some, this can mean it is difficult to find or hold down work, for others it may mean it is more difficult to make friends or join in with social and leisure activities. It seems this is particularly prevalent among people who were not born with a hearing impairment, but have lost their hearing through accident or illness. A look at the Hearing Dogs website will give you a chance to read several case studies which demonstrate the impact a Hearing Dog can have on someone's whole life - many people with Hearing Dogs report that their dog has made them more confident, enabled them to find a job or perform better at their work and has, in some cases, simply given them a talking point which enables closer interaction with people they may not otherwise have spoken to.

We think Hearing Dogs is a fantastic charity doing fantastic work. They are often overshadowed by the more well-known charities, but they are every bit as deserving. We hope to be able to raise enough money to provide "complete partnership support" for a dog and its human partner throughout the dog's life. The amount needed for this is £5,000 - please help us to get there by visiting our sponsorship page at www.justgiving.com/bbjamarathon