Congratulations Cooper!

Cooper has done it!

Our clever boy is now living with his deaf partner, Helen, and is using his incredible skills to support her wherever life takes her.

Helen’s mother contracted measles during her pregnancy, which resulted in Helen being born without a sense of hearing. Helen is now a London-based hospital consultant and cool Cooper is helping her to leave loneliness behind.

Helen and Cooper make a brilliant team

A confident, constant companion

“Social isolation has been the biggest impact of my deafness. When I was a young child, I had no speech and felt exceptionally frustrated all the time,” shared Helen. “Things improved a bit when I got hearing aids*. However, I was the only deaf child at school. I remember being really quite lonely as a teenager.

“The conversations I’ve had with Cooper by my side are amazing. People now come up to me to introduce themselves. He’s definitely provided me with the confidence to try new things. We’ve recently joined a running group, which he loves. It’s great to meet other people and their dogs. Interactions are now much easier with him in tow!”

Cool, confident, cuddly and clever – that’s Cooper!

It’s all ‘gouda’ when Cooper is around!

Helen has a cochlear implant* and uses special equipment, including an adapted stethoscope, to support her at work. Cooper is now in consultations too, showing off his excellent bedside manner. “Cooper is hugely popular with staff and patients alike. His presence certainly breaks the ice. I know all about my patients now, and their dogs!”

• *Hearing aids – A small electronic device that fits onto the ear and can help someone to hear better.

• *Cochlear implant – A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who has a severe or profound hearing loss. It turns sounds into electrical signals that travel through a part of the ear called the cochlea, and through the auditory nerve to the brain. The deaf person’s brain then interprets these signals as sound.

Helen lives alone and she has often worried about not being able to hear sounds, like the fire alarm, during the night. With Cooper around, that’s no longer the case.

Trainer Darcy talks Helen through some sound alerts

“There’s also nothing like being woken up every morning by a 28kg Labrador who wants cuddles!” We couldn’t agree more, Helen!

Our sweet Labrador is bringing fun and joy to Helen’s life. One such way is through his notable love of cheese: “Every time I open the fridge, Cooper sits until I pay the ‘cheese tax’! His hearing must be amazing because I’ve tried lifting the cheese out really quietly but he’s always there, even if he was sleeping!

Even a snoozing Cooper is always listening

Thank you for sponsoring our brilliant boy

“To Cooper’s sponsors, I want to say a huge thank you for bringing this special boy into my life!”

Hearing dogs like Cooper can only go through their life-changing training with the kind support of people like you. It would be amazing if you’d consider sponsoring another puppy-in-training, but whatever you decide, thank you so much for sponsoring Cooper.