A New Leash On Hearing
Kathy Taylor has been completely deaf since age 5, an effect of the measles. Although she does wear hearing aids in order to hear limited sounds, the devices are far from perfect.
Taking them out to sleep, she is unable to hear the alarm clock and has missed several early morning flights over the years. Even while wearing them, she once failed to hear a siren and was nearly broad sided at an intersection by a fire truck.
“I don’t know how it missed me,” said Taylor, who as a child learned to lip read. “It was then I decided to look into getting a hearing dog, to alert me to sounds I can no longer hear.”
After five years on a waiting list, Taylor, who lives in Warsaw, finally welcomed Janet into her life. Janet is a specially-bred Labrador retriever trained to recognize and respond to dozens of sounds, including the doorbell, cellphone ring, smoke alarm and even the ding of the microwave or washing machine.
“Deafness is a hidden disability at first,” said Taylor. “But when you have a dog with a vest that says ‘service dog,’ there is no hiding the fact anymore. But the independence I now have thanks to Janet is worth it.”
Taylor no longer worries about missing business meetings, because Janet wakes her up when the alarm clock sounds. The only downside, says Taylor, is the dog doesn’t have a snooze button.
Dogs like Janet, extensively trained by Canine Companions for Independence, are even smart enough to adapt and alert their human partners to sounds they weren’t originally trained to consider.
“I once had eggs boiling on the stove and forgot about them. They must have been rattling in the pot, because Janet became concerned and alerted me,” said Taylor. “She has also stopped me from stepping into the path of a car backing up.”
Canine Companions for Independence is a non-profit organization that is an offshoot of the Lions Club Leader Dog for the Blind program. The organization provides people with disabilities trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.
Taylor, who works for CenturyLink as a system design engineer, travels extensively with Janet for work as well as for vacation with her husband, Brad. Although most people are respectful of service dogs, Taylor has experienced her fair share of discrimination.
“I’ve had waitresses refuse me service, and hotels that have given me their worst rooms once they found out I have a service dog with me,” said Taylor. “But for any trouble I have, the rewards are well worth it.”
“I will forever be grateful to Canine Companions for Independence,” said Taylor. “They not only provided me with Janet, free of charge, but with all her supplies and with continuing support. It is a wonderful organization.”
Taylor loves to do service dog demonstrations with Janet for service clubs, schools, scout groups or other local organizations. Those interested in having Taylor and her hearing dog, Janet, can contact Taylor at (260) 348-2026 or [email protected].