Buddy is a qualified hearing dog!

A round of applause for Buddy

Buddy’s a hearing dog! Thanks to your kindness, Buddy now lives with his deaf partner and buddy for life, Adrian.

Adrian was born deaf, but he’s never let this stop him from living life to the fullest. He’s an active member of the BSL (British Sign Language) community and worked in IT until his retirement.

Adrian and his wife adore Buddy’s cuddly personality

There are different reasons why people decide to get a hearing dog. For some, a specific incident could spark it, such as missing a smoke alarm or not hearing a child’s cry. In Adrian’s case, he decided to get a hearing dog when he retired. Being independent is a huge part of who he is, but he found himself without the routine of employment, while his wife and most of his friends were still working. As a result, he needed some practical support at home. That’s when Buddy bounded into his life.

Jumping into action

Buddy didn’t take long to get to work in his new role. When Adrian was home alone with Buddy for the first time, Buddy nudged him and dropped to the floor. “That’s the ‘danger’ signal, and I then remembered I’d left my porridge on the hob,” recalled Adrian. Without Buddy’s alert, Adrian wouldn’t have known the smoke alarm was going off.

Adrian and Buddy with one of Hearing Dogs’ trainers going through sound alerts before Buddy goes home with Adrian

But Buddy’s not just a fantastic assistance dog. His cuddly companionship and friendly nature have also had a positive impact. “He has a cheeky personality and isn’t afraid to ask for cuddles!” says Adrian.

Buddy has given structure and routine to Adrian’s day. Their walks and trips to the park have brought an extra connection with the local community. “He gives me a reason to be up and at ’em every day, and his needs give my day structure that was missing before. We enjoy our walks. I’m meeting more people, and he’s helped with my confidence when out and about.”

Thanks to Buddy’s companionship, Adrian is more independent than ever!

Thank you so much

From a calm and cautious puppy to a confident, potentially life-saving hearing dog, Buddy would not be alerting Adrian to sounds or being his best buddy without you, his sponsor.

We couldn’t be prouder of Buddy for completing his journey and forming such an amazing bond with Adrian.

Adrian says: “Thank you for your generosity. It’s a shame you can’t meet him – he’d have you eating out of his paw in no time.”

Thank you so much for making this incredible journey possible. It would be amazing if you could consider sponsoring another puppy and helping another deaf person. But for now, thank you – your kindness means the world.

Buddy and Adrian make a perfect team!