A Westbury woman who unexpectedly lost her hearing says her hearing dog has helped her regain her confidence after the experience left her isolated and worried about being in her home alone.
Janis Thomas worked as a specialist teaching assistant for 18 years, supporting hearing impaired and deaf children with cochlear implants as they transitioned from signing to speaking. Following her retirement, she developed severe tinnitus which caused her own hearing to deteriorate significantly.
“With strangers, and sometimes even family, if I didn’t hear what was said, I’d see them look at each other and tut,” said Janis. “After a while, I would only go out if my husband was with me. Eventually, I started making excuses not to go out until I stopped altogether. I became very isolated and depressed. I wasn’t in a good place.
“On the rare occasions I did go out, if I saw someone I knew, I’d cross the road or keep walking because I was frightened they’d start a conversation that I wouldn’t be able to follow.”
She was eventually matched with hearing dog Valour through the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in October 2025.
“When he trotted through the door it was love at first sight,” said Janis. “I knelt down to hug him and from that moment he just fitted into our family.”
Valour’s specialist training gives Janis greater independence and peace of mind by alerting her to important sounds she can no longer hear, including smoke alarms, fire alarms and cooker timers.
“The first time I realised the difference he could make was when he alerted me to a fire alarm in a supermarket,” said Janis. “He repeatedly nudged me with his nose and then dropped to the floor, which is the danger signal. I realised eventually what he was telling me. Thankfully, that time, it was only a test, but I knew then that he was always looking out for me.
“Forgetting I’d left something cooking could have devastating consequences because I simply can’t hear the timer. Now, wherever I am in the house, Valour nudges my leg and leads me straight to the kitchen.”
Janis says Valour has also helped her regain the confidence to socialise again.
“With Valour by my side, I’m regaining the confidence to go out on my own. It’s still early days – I’ve only had him nine months – but I’m getting there. Recently, in a charity shop, a lady started talking to me about Valour being a hearing dog. Then another person joined in. Before I knew it, I was chatting to three strangers at once, something I hadn’t done for years.
“It’s hard to describe what’s changed since Valour arrived. I feel as though I’m becoming my old self again. I genuinely couldn’t imagine life without him.”
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a national charity that trains dogs to alert deaf people to important sounds while providing companionship and support to help them live more independently.
For more information about the charity, visit hearingdogs.org.uk.
