Hearing Dog Program Launches in San Francisco
Newly-Formed Non-profit Opens Its Doors to Assist Deaf
and Hard of Hearing People with Hearing Dogs
The Hearing Dog Program (HDP), a non-profit organization dedicated to
providing trained hearing dogs to individuals, announced today the launch
of its San Francisco-based headquarters. HDP (www.hearingdogprogram.org)
will serve the population of deaf and hard-of-hearing residents of
California and Nevada. HDP joins only a handful of other organizations in
the state of CA that trains hearing dogs for an underserved population. In
view of the recent closure of the well-known San Francisco SPCA Hearing
Dog Program, the new program is urgently needed, as the wait for a hearing
dog is currently as long as 2 to 5 years at the handful of other programs
in California.
HDP's mission is to find, train and place hearing dogs into loving
homes of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many of these dogs are
rescued from overcrowded Central Valley and local shelters and rescue
groups. HDP's dogs, officially classified as "service dogs," alert their
owners to important everyday sounds, thereby improving each person's
quality of life through increased independence and companionship developed
through a strong human-dog bond.
"In recognition of the great need for hearing dogs that make a critical
difference in the quality of life for deaf or hard-of-hearing persons, HDP
has been formed to serve residents of Northern California by providing
well-trained hearing dogs," said Glenn Martyn, Program Director of HDP.
"Former staff members, volunteers and graduates of the San Francisco SPCA
program are involved in HDP - all of whom have come together to lend
support."
Martyn is currently Director of Dog Training at Bergin University of
Canine Studies, home of the Assistance Dog Institute, a California
state-approved, degree-granting University, located in Santa Rosa,
California. He has been involved in training police, search and rescue,
and field dogs since 1965. In 1987 he was instrumental in creating
PawsAbilities - Canine Partners for People with Disabilities, which has
trained and placed hearing and mobility service dogs throughout the
Western United States.
Currently joining Martyn on staff at HDP is Head Trainer Martha
Hoffman, who has more than 20 years of experience in the hearing dog field
and is a published author of "Lend Me an Ear," a nationally-acclaimed book
on this subject. Thomas Oliver is Program Coordinator, with more than 18
years of experience in executive administration and non-profit
fundraising. Additionally, a substantial number of volunteers and foster
families are involved in the pursuit of establishing HDP as the premiere
resource for hearing dogs.
A trained hearing dog makes a dramatic difference in the life of a deaf
or hard-of-hearing person. By letting a deaf or hard-of-hearing person
know about important sounds like the telephone, smoke alarm or someone at
the door, a person's independence and quality of life are greatly
improved. People report that their social contacts with others also
improve due to having a trained hearing dog in their lives.
Partnership, Volunteer or Fundraising Inquiries:
For those interested in partnering, donating or volunteering with HDP,
please contact Thomas Oliver at toliver@hearingdogprogram.org.
About Hearing Dog Program
HDP is a non-profit whose dual purpose is to rescue dogs and then train
them to facilitate independence and increase safety for people who are
Deaf or hard-of- hearing. Hearing dogs are trained to alert a person to
numerous sounds that someone with hearing loss would not hear, such as the
doorbell, the alarm clock, and the smoke detector. The relationship
between a person and a hearing dog is mutually beneficial, as the dogs are
saved and given a rewarding job, and the recipients gain reassurance that
important sounds will not be missed, making the mission of the Hearing Dog
Program a win-win situation for dogs and people.
