Arthur
Arthur is the long term assistant to and best friend of John Hollins, having been with him now for over 10 years. The pair are often inseparable.
John enthuses to us how Arthur loves to go out and play with his Frisbee, seemingly his favourite toy, and it is clear to see, from the sheer number of photographs sent to us from John, how much Arthur enjoys his play-time!
When I was very young I was given eardrops that were too strong and they burnt out my eardrums, so I have had trouble with infections over the years. I then had operations to repair my ears one of which failed.
It was then I decided to apply for a hearing dog, I had to be assessed at the hospital and had a lady from hearing dogs visit me. Her name was Valerie Ball, she was deaf and had cochlea implants. She was very pleasant and after looking at my home she was very encouraging, saying I would probably wait for two years. It seemed a long wait so I was suprised after approximately one year they sent a letter to say they had a dog I might like to look at. So I went to see him, there was an instant bond between us, he is the most obedient and lovable dog any one could wish for. As well as being deaf I have Narcolepsy and Catalepsy and if I start to go to sleep in my chair he will tap me so that I will go and lay on my bed. I have some bad nights through dreaming and I am never afraid that my dog could attack me like others might, I have complete and utter trust in him.
I can honestly say Arthur is my pride and joy and I am never jealous of the attention he is given by the general public. Whereever we go, he is loved, and people then talk to me, asking how long I have had him who trained him. He was trained by Lisa Coles at the Beatrice Wright training centre. She is now, I believe, the manageress at Saunderton.
There just aren't enough words to express the love and trust I have in my dog.
I am a Christian man and believe in God. I used to pray for a dog, the sort of dog I wanted. My prayers were met. Love you all.
John