Rosie
Rosie began her life as a puppy in a rescue centre in Herefordshire. Just when things were looking bleak, her fortunes changed when an assessor from Hearing Dogs saw her and selected her for training. She went to live with a volunteer puppy socialiser for quite a few months, before sailing through her advanced soundwork training.
In September 2002 she was placed with profoundly deaf Debs Rolley-Parnell, who, in addition to her hearing loss also has Menieres disease which affects her balance. Debs already had a hearing dog called Cinders who had just retired, so she already knew the life-changing difference a hearing dog can make. However, the arrival of Rosie brought some additional and unexpected benefits, and she expanded Debs’ life in ways she could never have imagined. Debs explains: “Having Menieres disease meant I struggled to cope with life and suffered from severe bouts of depression. Cinders was a great comfort to me, as I knew she would be by my side when I had vertigo attacks, and she knew my balance was bad – particularly at night. Rosie was not trained to help with my Menieres, but she learned very quickly. When I first had Rosie, my balance was so bad that I couldn’t look down when I walked which sometimes meant I tripped over, but Rosie taught herself to stop at kerbs or where there were pot holes, which alerted me to the danger and prevented me from twisting my ankle. She has put up with wearing a body harness when we go out as I do not want to choke her by using a collar. Once she has got it on she knows that it is time for her to help me walk steadily in the dark.”
As well as telling Debs about all the household sounds, and looking out for possible trip hazards when they are out, Rosie has changed Debs’ way of thinking about her health. “I’ve never been able to run before because of my balance problems. Rosie, however, loves to run, even when she is on the lead. About two years ago, she started to try and encourage me to run with her. So I did – and it was great fun. She did this every day, always remaining by my side to check I was OK. Slowly I was able to run further and further, and discovered, to my surprise, that my attacks of Menieres were becoming less frequent as a result. My balance also started to improve, and now I am able to walk without worrying about whether I will fall over. I enjoy running so much that I have even taken part in an organised charity race – something I would never have thought about before Rosie came along.”
Not only has Debs’ health improved dramatically, but the confidence Rosie has given her in all aspects of her life has encouraged Debs to take on activities she would never have dreamed of before. “Rosie has made me so much healthier, and the new-found confidence she has given me has enabled me to fulfil a long-held dream – to dive with sharks.
“Rosie has proved that dogs can do even more than act as the ears for deaf people if you let them – they can make you a much healthier person.”
From Hearing Dogs for The Deaf: Hearing Dog of the Month February 2007