VISIT TO AUSTRALIAN LIONS HEARING DOGSNicole and Clare flew over to meet with the Australian Lions Hearing Dogs team at the end of March. It was a fun and informative few days with an opportunity to share knowledge that will help grow and support both programmes.

Nicole was lucky enough to spend time with members from the management team and board while Clare had an involving day with the trainers.

A big thank you to David Horne, Darren Coldwell and the team for hosting.

Watch this space for exciting new initiatives that we introduce on the back of this visit.

JUNE 2018

Photo credit: Belinda Bullock

Pictured: Nicole Segar, Clare McLaughlin and Darren Coldwell

A MAN AND HIS DOGRichard Field and Jett are a well-known twosome in their local area of Whangaparaoa, and Richard is often stopped by passers-by wanting to talk about his adorable canine companion. Richard doesn’t need to be asked twice to explain the unique role and benefits of a hearing dog and his special relationship with his treasured pooch.

It was on one of his twice-daily 7km walks along Stanmore Bay Beach with his hearing dog Jett that Richard got talking to Belinda Bullock, a budding photographer with a keen eye for animals.

Belinda fell in love with Jett, and quickly realised he’d be a great candidate for an animal photo shoot to practice her technique on, so she asked if she could photograph them in a portrait sitting.

She was so pleased with the results, she entered this photo (pictured left) into the Portrait Masters Image Award 2018 competition, where they narrowly missed winning Silver by one point and took out Bronze instead.

Richard is rightly proud of the stunning portrait: “People are amazed at the way Belinda showcased Jett in the photo. That’s our hearing dog, Jett - didn’t she do well?”

Listen Up is the official newsletter of Hearing Dogs NZ Charitable Trustinfo@hearingdogs.org.nz www.hearingdogs.org.nz

It’s the 20th Anniversary of Hearing Dogs NZ this year - more details coming soon!

KENNEL EXTENSION COMPLETE

Thanks to the wonderful support and skills of local volunteers Colin Kelsen, Chris Haughton and Bruce Howson, our new kennels are complete, providing us with eight new kennels (and enough material to take us to 10 kennels once we complete further changes in the kennel house).We still have the original kennels which we will continue to use as the training numbers increase.Thanks guys, we couldn’t have done it without you!

OUR NEW PUPPY STREAM

Our CEO Nicole Segar has been working with Guide Dogs NZ regarding access to their withdrawn puppies. The puppies are withdrawn for a variety of reasons; however, a number of these puppies have great potential to become hearing dogs. One such puppy is Iris. Iris was withdrawn from the Guide Dog programme due a posterior cataract in one eye, meaning she does not have 20/20 vision and therefore cannot work as a Guide Dog. Iris arrived at our Training Centre on 3rd May and has settled in well. She is a sweet, willing, responsive Lab/Retriever cross who is very smart and quick to learn. Iris also enjoys her nature walks and a good game of fetch. We look forward to sharing her journey with you.

AMELIA AND BO

A gorgeous white fluffball Bichon Frise called Bo is responsible for the big smile on 8-year-old Amelia’s face. After being extremely ill and housebound for the past few months, Bo has been a welcome distraction as well as a comforting companion since his arrival in March. “The children all think Bo is very cute, friendly and cuddly,” says Amelia’s mother, Tracey. “Bo is a lovely addition to the family and although he is Amelia’s dog, he has been therapeutic to us all.”

Amelia has a neurological condition which has left her profoundly deaf. She communicates using an iPad app. Hearing Dogs came into the picture at the end of last year. “Amelia has always loved animals and a few people, after seeing her interact with their animals, had suggested to me that Amelia would probably benefit from that special relationship you have with a dog,” explains Tracey.

The pair have become firm friends, and Amelia is keen to include the family cat Elmo in the fun. “Amelia really wants Bo and our cat Elmo to be friends, so she loves to try and put Bo’s toys near our cat,” says Tracey. “Bo is keen too and Elmo is slowly getting used to the idea. Amelia also loves looking at books and shows Bo her books if there is something she thinks he will like. Bo loves playing ball so is always bringing her balls to throw.”

“As Amelia is starting to get better now, I am looking forward to seeing how Bo helps her when we are out and about, and in more social settings,” says Tracey. We have a feeling Bo will rise to the occasion and continue to be a wonderful companion to this little girl.

NEWS IN BRIEFSign up for our e-newslettersIn an effort to reduce costs, we would like to send you our newsletters electronically. Please sign up to receive our newsletter via email: http://hearingdogs.simplicitycrm.com/join/

Nice and cosy this winter!Thank you to Christel Mills for her very generous donation of a Heat Pump for the Training House. Just in time for winter!

Colourful curtainsThank you to Bruce and Alison Hebbard for our new curtains for the Training Centre office. They look wonderful and have really made a difference to the look of our office.

COOPERCooper is now half way through his training and is working out to be a wonderful dog. A lovely cavoodle with a very loving, gentle nature. When Cooper spends time in the office, he enjoys playing with the soft toys and will often put them back in the toy basket when finished. What a good boy!

ASHBYThis adorable Bichon Frise x Cavoodle is a smart and energetic boy who, at the time of going to print, is just being placed in his new forever home.

ELSAElsa is a Cavoodle/Toy Poodle cross and is at the beginning of her training. She is such a sweet little girl who just wants to please.

RIGBYA.K.A Wriggly, this busy boy is also not far into his training. He is a very smart Cavoodle/Sydney Silky cross. He has energy to burn and loves to play ‘catch me if you can’ with the other trainees!

DEEThis delightful Bichon/Shih Tzu cross has just come into training and is yet to be assessed. She is certainly full of character and will keep us on our toes!

Dogs in TrainingMeet our trainees and learn about their special personalities

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SOCIALITES Here are our four new adorable puppies that are being socialised until they are old enough to be trained.

KARAKA VINTAGE DAYOn Sunday 18th March, the National Office team, along with a number of recipients, attended the Karaka Vintage Day.It was a fantastic event enjoyed by all who attended.A big thank you to the Rotary Club of Drury for selecting Hearing Dogs NZ as their charity of choice and for their support on the day. They raised a total of $1,500 for which we are extremely grateful.Thank you also to all the recipients who came out and enjoyed the day with us, it was lovely to get to know you better.

Lander, a Cavoodle

Ollie, a Maltese cross Shih Tzu

Zoro, a Shih Tzu

Ebony, a miniature Poodle1

2 43Pictured: Jacqui Cameron and Nicole Segar

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National Office: Unit 2, 106 Bush Road, Albany | PO Box 300329, Albany, Auckland 0752 | Phone: 09 917 4160Training Centre: 7 Hydro Road, New Plymouth | Phone: 06 769 5000

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