Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

592 Words2 Pages

It's not unusual to see a dog leading and assisting a blind person. You have probably seen a few of those trained dogs during the course of your life. But have you ever noticed a dog helping a deaf person? A hearing dog is just as important as another type of assistance dog, they alert their handler to important sounds, such as doorbells, smoke alarms, ringing telephones, alarm clocks, sirens, or a person calling their owners name. In 1979, there was an international conference for vets, they brought up the idea of hearing dogs for deaf people. A man named Bruce Fogle was at the conference and he was very interested in the idea of hearing dogs. When he got back home he wrote to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People and elaborated on the idea of hearing dogs. The RNID were very interested, but said they didn't have the money to further his ideas. However, eventually enough money was rounded up and the first training center was opened. The first training center was established at Chinnor in Oxfordshire, and the organization was officially launched in February 1982. Bruce Fogle ...

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