Hearing Dogs & Testimonials

Linda and “Mogli”

April 2010

IHDI 1,110th Hearing Dog Placed

From Recipient, Melody in IL

“We had an earthquake reported 100 miles from here last night near DeKalb, IL and about the time they say it happened Zeke got up on the bed, he growled and looked at us straight in the eye...He stood very stiff and listened. I’m sure he was reacting to some sound or movement...He is so extremely sensitive...Just thought you might enjoy that tidbit.”

                                                “Zeke”

“Benson” & Ronald

    February 2010

                          

From Recipient, Paula Jean in OH

“‘China’ saved a little 90-some year old lady who tipped her motorized chair into a bush. The lady made a sharp turn and was strapped in. China heard it happen and wouldn’t settle down until I went outside and found her. The lady was trying to get out and could have put her eyes out with the branches of the dead bush. China worked well that day.”

                                                                                                

“Mia” & Darlene

   October 2009

From Recipient, Amanda Vickery in IL

major emergency from that lamp, and Clayton let me know that there was something wrong even though it was not a sound. He’s brilliant.”

I forgot to tell you that ‘Clayton’ has learned something new. I suffer from sleep apnea, and Clayton has learned to sense when I quit breathing for too long and wakes me up. He somehow figured it out on his own. It’s amazing what dogs can do.”

From Recipient, Debbie Cherry-Farnsworth in AZ

“Just wanted to say I love Coby. He is a great dog...and he is getting better and better. It is hard not to just sit and love on him all day. He is very well behaved in the stores and stays right by my side. He just sat through class and did great. My boss and others are working with him knocking on my office door. He is getting a good understanding here at work. He is well behaved when I interview my clients.

He seems to be adjusting to our home. I am so grateful to have him. I feel like he will save my life. Yesterday I tried the smoke alarm, while on the couch, and he was like a streak of lightning to get to me and he had just been hanging out relaxing.”

Barry and “Honey”

April 2010

From Recipient, Alyce Brown in CO

“‘Taylor’ has become my second best friend and goes everywhere with me.

At home, I don’t always wear my hearing aides. Taylor has learned to alert me to the microwave bell and the dryer buzzer all on her own. She comes running to get me and at first I wasn’t paying much attention to what she was trying to tell me but after she got me trained to ‘listen’ to her, I was amazed at her cunning.

She always alerts me to someone coming up behind or beside me when we go out for walks by pushing against my left leg or jumping on my backside to get me out of the way.

She has found ways that work for us to alert me to the phone ringing, door knocks, and the smoke alarm. My cell phone is quite an issue for her. No matter where we are, she starts jumping up my leg to get to my cell phone, to the amusement of anyone watching her.

My life is so much fuller with Taylor in it. I did not realize how I had become slightly isolated because of my hearing loss and being out in public. When I am in a restaurant, Taylor actually lets me know when someone is talking to me and I hadn’t noticed.

As you know, I am very active as a Boy Scout Volunteer with Special Needs Scouts. We have a transitional troop of disabled boys I work with. Taylor has become the mascot for this Troop. She has a very calming affect on the more hyper boys and the autistic boys react to her in a way that has amazed the parents and the leaders.

Taylor and I were at a training meeting in a private home and she was lying quietly at my feet until she suddenly jumped up and looked up and look behind me. I settled her down and then she jumped up again. I asked the woman whose house we were in if there was something behind us. She responded as she walked to a door leading upstairs and found her 10 month old son standing at the top of the stairs. Taylor saved that child from what could have been a very serious tumble down a big flight of stairs. She was the hit of the meeting and was given a reward for her saving the child.

She was requested to visit a friend of mine at University Hospital that was undergoing chemo treatments. When my friend was too weak to reach down to pet Taylor she was asked for her to be on the bed. Taylor laid for over an hour on the bed quietly just moving her head when she wanted my friend’s hand on her head. Everyone was absolutely amazed how my friend’s vital signs became much better.

I thank you so much for giving me the honor of being Taylor’s ‘Mom.’ She is such a big part of our lives and the subject of a lot of laughter at her antics to attention.”

From Recipient, Tom Carney’s wife Lee Matthews of CO

“Tom was taking ‘Zoe’ out for her late night walk about 11:30pm and Zoe stopped and would not go left out the back door of the lobby. She dug into her heels and kept tugging Tom towards the other tower in our high rise. Tom finally gave in and when they were 2/3 across the lobby, he heard a faint voice inside the mailroom in the other tower calling for help. An elderly woman had fainted and struck her head and was lying in a pool of blood. Tom calmed her and came and got me. I stabilized her and checked her out until the paramedics arrived.

Zoe stood beside Tom calmly even as the firefighters and paramedics arrived and did not budge. We were so proud of her! The Property Managers spread the story and Zoe has many new friends.

She is doing well  on all her drills...Zoe has made a great difference in Tom’s life in such a short time. She alerts him to noises her hasn’t heard in so long---He seems to sleep better.

Thank you so much for all your work and ongoing support.”

From Recipient, Walter Schachter of HI

“Aloha Friends at International Hearing Dog:

I cannot express how drastically my life has been improved and enriched since I received Domino from IHDI. He is constantly with me, not letting me out of his sight, and tells me everything I need to know. In addition to his superb training, he alerts me to any additional sounds I cannot hear such as approaching vehicles, etc.

Domino, being the only Hearing Dog on the island of Moloka’i and probably the only Hearing Dog in Hawaii, has attracted a lot of attention in his little orange vest. He attends church, goes to restaurants, birthday parties, hotels, on airplanes, to the beach and shopping. He is so well-behaved that people are always amazed. At home he is such a joy as his cheerful, playful personality infects anyone around.

I truly appreciate the wonderful work and training all of your staff does to provide dogs to change and greatly improved the lives of the hearing impaired.

Mahalo nui loa (thank you so very much) for placing Domino with me!

From Recipient, Myrna Wood of KS

“Words cannot describe how wonderful Kiki is, she is so loving and trusting. She will be a source of security and great companion for me, I love her already before I met her...

She is really amazing at her work and so proud of her own accomplishments. I took her to church this morning and she was truly amazing. She settled without me telling her to and everybody was amazed the way she was so disciplined and quiet, they are interested in how she was trained...I am so pleased and honored that Martha was the one who delivered Kiki to me and I learned a lot from her in the short time she was here. I feel like I need to be trained too!!! But Martha told me what to do and how to just relax and get a regular routine and stick with it and I’m doing better with the training. I know we will be fine.

Thank you again for Kiki.

From Retired Vice President of the Johnson Foundation,

Brigit Ann Davis

“I recently retired as Vice President and Program Officer from the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation, after twenty-three years of working with a wide variety of non-profit organizations, I feel I am qualified to speak on behalf of IHDI, as the Foundation has provided funding each year, for both capital projects and general support, for a great part of that time. I have visited the facility regularly, meeting the dogs and discussing the operation with Martha Foss and Valerie Foss-Brugger.

The Johnson Foundation believes strongly in its role as a partner with each non-profit, helping them to work through any problems and giving them support and encouragement in addition to dollars. IHDI has always been open and cooperative with the Foundation, and I personally have appreciated the manner in which they could come to me to discuss any issue with which they felt I could help, either with advice, referrals or just plain listening. I am, and always have been, deeply concerned about the large number of stray and homeless dogs, and one of the joys for me has been seeing the dogs referred to IHDI become useful, loving and much loved companions.

I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending IHDI to you; indeed, I am hopeful that my high opinion of the organization and its dedicated staff will be helpful to you.”

Teresa & “Hamlet”

     May 2010

From Recipient, Kevin from TX

“Mickey is my new Hearing Dog. We’ve been together since April 22 when Bob dropped him off and spent several days teaching us. He’s 1-in-a-million, good and bad alike, mostly good. I now know when people are at the door, the phone rings, or if the smoke alarm goes off. The biggest bonus is just walking down the street and having him alert me to people behind me or off to the side that I can’t see. That’s the best. I’m a marathon runner, and currently Mick is up to 15 miles per week, never more than 5 at a time. He is still acclimating to the Austin heat and humidity. It’s around a lake, so I reward him with a swim afterwards. There are also dog water fountains every mile or so, so we both stay hydrated. So beyond being a security blanket and alerting me to everyday sounds, he’s also sensed and learned other things to alert me to, such as the bicyclist speeding up from behind. Mick and I are best friends for sure. Thank you IHDI. I am forever grateful, and Mick is, too.

From Recipient, Kathy Lewis Clark in GA

I wanted to let you know what Bentley did for me and my mom. My mom has dementia and I brought her home to visit for a week. The first night she was here I woke up to Bentley barking and nudging my elbow. Normally, he doesn’t bark unless someone comes to the door that he doesn’t know. I knew something was wrong. I got up and she was in the other bedroom on the floor. She had fallen. The next morning Bentley jumped over me and gave me a “kiss” on the side of my face. I am a heavy sleeper also. Again, it was my mom who fallen in her room. She fell everyday she was here. And if it wasn’t for Bentley I would of never known, and she would have laid on the floor until I went and checked on her. Thank you Bob, Valerie and everyone at IHDI! Bentley may be getting older but he just gets better!