Hear from Jane, a Hearing Assistance Dog Recipient
Jane is an Occupational Therapist and Wedding Celebrant from Adelaide, who was born deaf and has had her Hearing Assistance Dog Walter by her side since January 2022. Jane says “Walter has just been lifechanging, he has been such a comfort and companion… I can just relax, feel secure and safe, that he will alert me to anything I need to hear.”
Specsavers Audiology sponsor Australian Lions Hearing Dogs.
Since 1980, Australian Lions Hearing Dogs has provided a set of ‘furry ears’ to hundreds of Australians needing extra care for their hearing loss or deafness.
Dogs are trained to alert their owners to sounds like phone calls, door knocks and smoke detectors, as well as provide companionship for those experiencing social isolation. Each Hearing Assistance Dog costs ALHD upwards of $37,000 to train and support, and is gifted free of charge to its owner.
With demand for dogs growing, Specsavers Audiology are an official corporate partner of Australian Lions Hearing Dogs. The sponsorship from Specsavers Audiology has supported the expansion of the ALHD training centre and enables Hearing Dogs to continue to be provided to Australians in need, free of charge.
Specsavers Audiology are proudly partnering with Australian Lions Hearing Dogs so they can train more dogs and help more hearing-impaired Australians.
Meet Earnest
Earnest is a black labradoodle who was born in February 2023 through the ALHD breeding centre. Earnest is training to be a hearing assistance dog and will be a support and companion to someone who has severe or profound hearing loss.
As part of the Specsavers Sponsorship, we were given the important task of naming little Earnest and we thought that "EARnest" was a perfect fit. The sponsorship has enabled his training and we are excited to share regular updates of his progress!
Liz’s Story
Specsavers Audiology has been a proud partner of the Australian Lions Hearing Dogs (ALHD) as part of the Specsavers Community Program since 2020. With demand for hearing assistance dogs growing, our partnership is supporting ALHD’s expansion, which enable them to train more dogs, and help more hearing-impaired Australians such as Liz.