National charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is inviting Harrogate residents to stretch their legs and join the charity’s trainers and volunteers for an informal stroll around the stunning grounds at Temple Newsam House, Leeds, at midday this Friday (17 October) and a chance to meet some adorable hearing dog puppies.
The walk is a chance to meet the charity’s friendly training team, find out more about what’s involved in being a volunteer puppy trainer, and how they could help change someone’s life – simply by welcoming a puppy into their home.
The charity has an urgent need for volunteer puppy trainers in Harrogate, York, Leeds and Otley, Wetherby, Selby, Hull and all the towns and villages in between.
On the walk, there will be a chance to chat with current volunteers and their puppies-in-training about their experience. Deaf people who have been partnered with life-changing hearing dogs have also been invited to come along and share their inspiring stories.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People trains dogs to alert deaf people to important and potentially life-saving sounds. They also provide constant love, companionship and emotional support.
Each hearing dog puppy’s journey starts with one of the charity’s dedicated volunteer puppy trainers, who care for and help to train a puppy in their own home for around 12 to 18 months. No previous experience is needed, and the charity covers all the costs involved.
Karen Harcastle from Selby has been a volunteer puppy trainer for the charity for 10 years and is currently training six months old Cockapoo Kayla.
Karen said:
It was my mum who really inspired me to get involved. She’s been deaf since childhood and I’ve seen the struggles she’s had to face – from being pushed out of the way when she hasn’t heard someone asking her to move, to withdrawing from group conversations. It used to really upset me.
Becoming a Volunteer Dog Trainer with Hearing Dogs is the best thing I’ve ever done – to have a dog, to learn a skill, meet lots of people, get out and about, and make a difference to someone else’s life.
You have a tremendous amount of support from the charity and from other volunteers. Once a month, the charity holds a drop-in session where you can chat with other volunteers.
We have a natter and it’s very supportive. I also joined the buddy scheme where I can help a first-time volunteer if they’re having any teething troubles.
We can all do things to help other people. Training hearing dogs is one of those things and I love every single minute of it!”
Silver Poodle Merlin, one of the puppies Karen trained, was partnered with Leeds resident Diane Thrippleton in 2024. Diane was born profoundly deaf with a rare condition called Klippel Feil Syndrome and has lived in a silent world all her life.
Diane was partnered with Merlin after tragically suddenly losing her first hearing dog Chester when he was six years old. She explained:
Without Chester’s support, I felt lost, numb and broken, and I struggled with depression.
Last summer, I heard that the charity had found me a match – a Poodle called Merlin. I absolutely fell in love with him. He is very loving and likes to be cuddled up to me, which is what I really need.
Merlin loves alerting me to sounds, especially the cooker timer and doorbell, by nudging my leg, so we practise this regularly. He is very clever and a little mischievous – sometimes fooling around with an empty yoghurt pot on his face, which is hilarious.
With Merlin’s help, I’ve become more sociable, going to the deaf club for the over 55s every week, going for a cuppa in a cafe, and even planning where we will go on holiday together. He’s really brought me back to my old self. I am so thankful to have him in my life.
Anyone who would like to come along, can meet the Hearing Dogs team at the Temple Newsam Park Ampitheatre [meeting point: What3Words ///lifts.salad.abode, Temple Newsam Road, LS15 0AE.
Anyone not free on Friday, but who would be interested in finding out more about becoming a volunteer puppy trainer, or volunteering for the charity in another way, can visit http://hearingdogs.org.uk/volunteer-puppies, or contact the volunteering team directly at volunteer@hearingdogs.org.uk, or by calling 01844 348129.
