Sponsorship FAQs

As demand for our life-changing hearing dogs continues to grow, the Charity is focussing on increasing the number of puppies it can train year on year to meet this need. Our new Puppy Sponsorship hearing dog training scheme will help fund the training of more and more puppies each year so that we can meet demand for our services now and in the future.

Why are you launching a new sponsorship scheme?

As demand grows, we urgently need to train up more puppies to become hearing dogs. The new sponsorship programme focuses on this critical area of our work.

What will I receive if I join the puppy sponsorship scheme?

Sponsors receive a welcome pack including postcards of their puppy, a car sticker, pin badge and a leaflet explaining the process your puppy will go through to qualify as a hearing dog.

How long does the sponsorship period last?

You’ll follow your puppy from the time it starts training until it is placed with a deaf recipient – a period of 18 months.

Will I be the only person sponsoring my chosen puppy?

No, your puppy will have a number of sponsors to help us in raising the funds to train many more puppies like them.

Will I be able to visit my sponsored puppy?

This may not be possible as the puppy spends much of its initial training at the home of a volunteer socialiser, who could be based anywhere in the country.

What if my puppy doesn't make it through training?

We have high standards for hearing dogs and not every puppy makes the grade. If the puppy you’re sponsoring doesn’t pass one of its assessments during the training period, we’ll give you a new puppy to sponsor.

What's happening to the current Hearing Dog Friend scheme?

The existing scheme will be phased out over the course of 2011 and existing Friends supporters will be invited to continue their support through the new Puppy Sponsorship scheme.