Because of their unique and important job, Hearing Dogs are legally allowed into any public place with their handler. This includes food outlets, restaurants, shops, theatres, on public transport – virtually everywhere their handler goes.

Hearing Dogs are specially trained to behave appropriately in a range of situations, including eating and toileting on command. The next time someone comes into your shop or business with a Hearing Dog, please make them welcome.

How to spot a Hearing Dog

Hearing Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. There are no one specific breed or type of dog. Look out for the yellow jacket with our logo on it.

Legislation

Hearing Dogs have rights of public access under the Dog Control Act 1996 and are protected from discrimination through other important legislation such as the Human Rights Act 1993.

This legislation collectively entitles Hearing Dogs to go into any public place and on any public vehicle including: restaurants, doctors, dentists, shops, beaches, cinemas, hotel, buses, ferries, domestic and international flights, ships, taxis, trains, etc.

Denying access to a person with a Hearing Dog is considered a serious offence.

She was surprised how quickly they had bonded despite the advised transition period — three days to get to know you, three weeks to know where their new homes were and three months to adjust to life’s new rhythm.

Since Ardie came to live with her, she had become more aware of shop signage that said guide dogs were welcome on the premises.

But she believed signage needed to be more inclusive by saying ‘‘all service animals’’, not just guide dogs because there were so many other types of service animals now, she said.

She believed the limited signage had led to misunderstandings with staff and the public about what animals were legally allowed indoors.

His breed was also outside the expected Labrador service dog.

But Ardie was an official service animal, who was legally entitled to enter any public place, but some people had refused them entry because they did not understand this, she said.

‘‘Hearing dogs are not that wellknown around here at the moment.’’

Hearing dogs were easy to identify because of their bright yellow jacket, but like all service dogs, should not be distracted from their main tasks while working, she said.

‘‘I’ve had a lot of people come up to me and randomly petting him without asking and I’ve had to say to them, ‘please don’t pet him’.’’

The charitable organisation trains about eight dogs a year to help deaf and hearing-impaired people.

Cooper said it relies on donations to cover the costs of selecting, training and placing the dogs, as well as providing ongoing support.

It's a big project, she says. It can up to two years for the charity to train an assistance dog and cost as much as $30,000.

They're placed with people who need them for no charge.

The hearing dogs provide emotional support, companionship and security.  They can often be life-changing for people like Linda.

"(Louie) is absolutely magnificent," Linda said.

"It is really changing my life and giving me more confidence.

"I feel safer with him. Even though he's only little, he's got a big bark."

Hearing Dogs NZ recently celebrated its 150th match, but Cooper says it still has a long list of people waiting for one.

The charity aims to continue raising awareness about disabilities and improve the lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing New Zealanders.

- By Geoff Sloan, made with the support of NZ On Air

Rogan’s biggest job is alerting people to fact that Vanessa has a hearing loss, which is not obvious as she speaks clearly. “There’s a quip of deaf people that ‘just because I can speak doesn’t mean I can hear’,” she says. “When I’m somewhere like the supermarket and somebody says ‘excuse me’ to get past, they see the dog and understand why I’m not responding. He is the visible sign of my hearing loss.” 

People respond positively to Rogan’s presence and her situation. One day when the train timetables had been disrupted after a large earthquake, a man beside her on the platform was busily tapping on his phone. “I thought he was texting but he was typing an explanation of the train changes for me because he realised I may not have heard the announcements over the loud speaker system.”

Vanessa is a Toastmasters’ stalwart, finding it better than any speech therapy. Rogan, who has his own membership tag, enjoys the convivial functions as well. He used to insist on accompanying Vanessa to the front every time she spoke but now dozes on the floor, sometimes disrupting proceedings by snoring loudly. The hearing dog who responds to a microwave beep from the far end of her house is oblivious to applause but on his feet when he senses it’s time for supper.

Rogan Josh socialises with his breed at Cavalier King Charles get-togethers and has his own Facebook page. “He’s got more followers than me,” says Vanessa. His best friend is a fellow cavalier titled Lord Winston, who belongs to a local hairdresser. If she can’t take Rogan to a job, the regal pair hang out together at the salon, reclining on a red velvet couch and lapping up attention from the humans who come in to be groomed.

“Hearing dogs just have to listen. They have a fairly leisurely life,” says Vanessa, who gives her companion plenty of opportunity to be a dog, his spaniel instinct coming to the fore as he sniffs out rabbits along the nearby river bank. Vanessa always keeps him on a long leash so he can’t take off, and also when he swims as the current is quite strong.

“He is my best friend. We enjoy each other’s company and are similar in many ways.” The thing they both most love to do together is travel. Rogan Josh is far more excited by the sight of a suitcase than any food or toy. He has travelled the length and breadth of the country on planes, trains, cars and ferries, often accompanying Vanessa to Toastmasters’ conventions. He was even given a special dispensation from the Department of Conservation to visit Milford Sound, which is Vanessa’s favourite place. “On that, we disagree,” she says. It was pouring with rain, and the little dog was impressed neither by the scenic boat trip nor the sandflies.

When Lizzy was wearing her yellow jacket, she could accompany him everywhere except the hospital emergency department and operating theatres. She was very friendly and made friends everywhere.

“People will say ‘gorgeous’, and I always say ‘thank you, and my dog is pretty good as well’,” Sears said with a laugh.

Lizzy, 2, also goes with him to country music sessions where he plays and sings with two bands. He can play from memory despite his hearing loss, and follows the bass player. “I’m in my 70s, been playing since I was 8 years old,” he said. “I know most of the songs, and I only need to know the next chord. I apologise beforehand because sometimes my voice goes out of tune for a few seconds, but nobody cares.”

At home, Lizzy and Sears practice her sound work training every day, but she sometimes gets a bit mischievous, he said.

News article written by Catherine Groenestein for Stuff, July 2023.

Feel safe at home - Knowing Meg will alert me to any   sounds. She will automatically alert me to things out of the normal as well.

Feel comfortable out in public - I get anxious and     being in public is challenging for me. Having a Hearing Dog, means people will automatically focus on the dog not me.

A connection like no other - I have suffered from depression for many years. I have found that having a dog to walk every day and to cuddle (on the floor), that intense focus on my wellbeing, being in sync with my moods from her, makes my days better. What better way to wake up in the morning than with kisses and cuddles from your dog as she alerts you to the timer/alarm going off.

Awareness of disability - Having a Hearing Dog makes people aware that I am hearing impaired, therefore communications go better as they look at me when they talk”.

Terry Darby, who trained Sophie, said the standard white poodle was a "chick magnet".

"When I was out training her I always had women commenting on how lovely she was. No men ever stopped me and told me how beautiful my fluffy white poodle was," Mr Darby said.

Mr Hughes, a retired welder who started losing his hearing when he was 30, first told the Hearing Dogs trainer he wanted a boxer dog.

"I told them I didn't want one of those fluffy little white things.

"Well, at least she isn't little," Mr Hughes laughed.

Sophie, who trained for seven months to be a hearing dog, alerts Mr Hughes if the doorbell rings, when the washing machine has finished and she even nudges his face when his alarm goes off in the morning.

"There is no sleeping in with Sophie here," said Mr Hughes, who belongs to the Volkswagen club and also has a green VW Kombi van.

"I take Sophie out in the kombie van too. She's got her own single bed and her own duvet in the back of it.

"She's a helper dog, but boy is she great company," he said.

Written by Taryn Utiger