Think of hearing dogs this bonfire night
National charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is urging people to attend organised firework events, rather than letting off fireworks in residential areas, to safeguard against hearing dogs becoming so stressed and scared that they are unable to provide the assistance they are trained to give to their deaf recipients.
Around 750 hearing dogs in the UK are providing a life-transforming level of independence, confidence and companionship to their deaf owners by alerting them to household sounds and danger signals such as the alarm clock doorbell and smoke alarm. Hearing dogs give their recipients the confidence to leave their home safe in the knowledge that their dog’s special burgundy hearing dog jacket will alert members of the public and service providers to their otherwise, largely, invisible disability.
Over the firework season, some hearing dogs can become so distressed and fearful, due to random fireworks be set off at all times of the day and night, that they are unable to perform their work for the deaf recipient. This can have potentially dangerous consequences because hearing dog recipients rely on their specially trained dog to tell them about important sounds that they cannot hear, such as the smoke alarm, that hearing people take for granted.
Fireworks season is particularly worrying for hearing dog owners as they cannot hear the sounds of the fireworks that are causing their dog so much anxiety. Sheila Ashton, 70, from Wigan in Lancashire, lost her hearing as a result of a work accident and became very worried last year when her five-year-old hearing dog Nina showed signs of being frightened by loud bangs.
Sheila explains: “Last bonfire night a rocket landed in our back garden and Nina was absolutely terrified! She started shaking and hid behind the couch for hours. I didn’t know what the matter was with her, as being deaf I had not heard the bang. I was really worried as I needed Nina to carry on working and alerting me to sounds I couldn’t hear.”
Nina spoke to staff at Hearing Dogs who gave her some advice on how to care for the little Lhasa Apso when she became so frightened and anxious as a result of the careless use of fireworks.
“I wish people would think twice before letting off noisy fireworks and how it can impact on the life of a deaf person that relies on their hearing dog to cope with everyday life,” concludes Sheila.
