Star made it... she is a qualified hearing dog!

“Star is a hilarious, loving, constant companion.”

That is, according to her deaf partner, Kim…which means our chilled and cheeky girl is now a hearing dog! Well done Star!

Star is Kim’s cute and cuddly companion, helping her to feel less isolated from the world around her

Kim began to lose her hearing at 16 years old, when she became seriously ill and the life-saving medication she needed to take caused her hearing to decline.

“It became easier to just not bother socialising,” shared Kim. “My hearing aids were not able to cope in venues with loud music. It can be like being in a room with several TVs showing different programmes, but all at the same volume. So, I’d attend parties without wearing them, but this meant I could not hear anyone.”

Kim sometimes used to go days without speaking to anyone. Now, with clever Star by her side, she gets chatting to people regularly. “When we go shopping, Star gives everybody a big smile showing all her white teeth. This results in lots of smaller conversations that I otherwise would not have had.”

Living without fear

Kim decided to apply for a hearing dog after she slept through an alarm to meet her mum for a hospital appointment. Due to her health complications, Kim’s parents became extremely worried when she then didn’t hear them phoning. In the end, her dad broke into her house to check she was okay. Kim woke up to him standing at the end of her bed.

“Star makes sure I don’t miss any sounds. This is reassuring, especially in terms of the smoke alarm. Now I can sit in the garden or take a break from my hearing aids without the fear of missing something important.”

What an incredible journey... from a tiny puppy into a life-changing hearing dog!

‘Peck-uliar’ habits…

As well as alerting Kim to potentially life-saving sounds, Star has developed some adorable habits in her new home.

“The favourite toy she brought with her, called ‘Chicken’, began to look a bit bedraggled and threadbare. So, for Christmas, we found an identical chicken and a few similar toys from the set. She was so excited.

“Now she lines them up in a row when I’m cooking, or on the doorstep, ready to take them outside to play with. She’ll also sleep with them all around her and if you take one, she will come and take it back off you to put it back with the group.”

Star and ‘Chicken’ are inseparable!

The future’s shining bright

So, what’s in store for stellar partners, Kim and Star?

“Star has given me the confidence to do more things alone again,” said Kim. “I hope to take her on small holidays and perhaps do some hiking.

“To Star’s sponsors, thank you so much for gifting me this life-changing animal, who makes me laugh every single day and keeps me safe without even thinking about it.”

It’s heartwarming to learn the difference our now not-so-little Star is making to Kim’s life, thanks to your kind sponsorship. We very much hope that you’ll continue your own journey with Hearing Dogs by sponsoring another wonderful puppy. But whatever you decide to do, please know how grateful we are to you for sponsoring Star.