Sarah feels safe with Romeo around

Romeo made it! We knew he would!

We’ve always had a very big soft spot for Romeo. He’s so choc-full of character, but we just had to take it easy with him, because he needed more time to mature. We’re so happy to tell you that today, Romeo helps Sarah live her life to the full, by alerting her to sounds, and by being her constant companion.

Sarah is deaf from birth. “My mother had rubella during pregnancy. When I was a toddler they discovered I was deaf.

“Since then I’ve been through school, college, jobs, got married and had a family, but it’s not been easy. I have to concentrate very hard on what people are saying, so I get tired. I also miss visitors when they ring the doorbell, or people calling me from other rooms.

“I’ve also had people being very unkind. Once I was in a shop, and a customer tried to talk to me. She didn’t know I was deaf, so she started saying ‘How rude is this lady, I was speaking to her and she just ignored me.’ My mother told her I was deaf, but it wasn’t a very nice experience.”

It was at a local festival that she spotted the Hearing Dogs stall – and that started a chain of events that led to her having her first hearing dog, a beautiful black Labrador called Sadie.

As Sarah says, “I’d just got used to life being frustrating, but Sadie changed all that.” Not only did Sadie help Sarah with sounds, she was also her ‘beacon’, telling people that Sarah was deaf, simply by wearing her Hearing Dogs coat.

Sadie is now retired, and lives with Sarah’s eldest daughter – so, enter Romeo! Sarah is thrilled. “I couldn't ask for a better dog. We all love him, especially my youngest daughter. She wants a Poodle when she leaves home!”

“Romeo is always near me, always ready. I feel safe when he’s around.” Deaf people can feel vulnerable, unsure of what might be going on around them. The simple feeling of being ‘safe’ is so important.

Romeo goes further than that though. “He’s such a funny little dog, he makes me laugh. He’s great wherever we go. We love our walks together, and sometimes when we have other dogs in the house he’s brilliant with them too.”

Romeo also helps with people’s attitudes towards her. “He gets a lot of attention because people think he’s so cute! This also helps with telling them I’m deaf too, without having to explain it. I am so very proud of him.”

We knew that Romeo would be perfect for a deaf person. We just needed time to make sure we got it right. Thanks to your support, Romeo is helping Sarah live a full, happy life, just as she should, and as every deaf person should.

So, from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, and from Sarah, Romeo, and all our wonderful volunteers who helped him along the way… thank you.