"He's a hero in every sense of the word.”

This year’s winner of the Heroic Hearing Dog of the Year - and our November Partnership of the Month - is hearing dog Nero and his deaf recipient Charles.

Nero, a loyal and intuitive hearing dog from London has won the national award for heroically leading his deaf recipient Charles Bishop home after he experienced sudden memory loss while out on the pair’s regular morning walk near Crystal Palace.

During their 6am walk one morning last year Charles suddenly suffered memory loss to the left side of his brain. He had no idea where he was or who he was.

Thankfully the extraordinary bond between Charles and Nero meant that the canine hero realised something was very wrong. Despite being off his lead at the time, Nero managed to help Charles home by pressing into his leg and leading him across each road on the remainig few miles of their route.

Said Charles: “Nero really is my hero. I don’t know how I would have managed to get home to my wife if it hadn’t been for him.

“To me Nero is a hero every day. He makes me feel like a normal human being, with nothing wrong with me. He has helped me cope with my deafness in ways I never thought possible.

He has transformed my life, taking away the sense of isolation, lonelieness and anxiety I was experiencing with my hearing loss.

“He’s a hero in every sense of the word.”

Find out how you can help

Without the incredible genorosity of our supporters, we would never be able to help deaf people like Charles.

Here are a few ways you can help continue this life-changing work. Thank you.