Miss-Delectable
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A pet that's all ears | MyCentralJersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com
Imagine you would like to have your own business, caring for children in your home, even though your hearing is profoundly impaired and you don’t always hear your own son. That’s the predicament that Diana O’Shea has faced. But her counselor at Catholic Charities, Michelle Cline, has referred her to Canine Hearing Companions, a nonprofit organization run by dog trainer Debby Schaser of Vineland.
Schaser works with prison inmates from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton to train Corgeranian puppies to be aides for people such as O’Shea who can hardly hear. The puppies learn to recognize sounds such as their owner’s name, things falling or the doorbell. When they hear these sounds, they alert their owner. O’Shea soon will receive a Corgeranian puppy named Sky who also has learned to recognize a baby’s cry, telephones ringing, and other children’s sounds.
The Corgeranian, a Pomeranian-Corgi mix, is the only breed Schaser uses for hearing dogs because they are small and intelligent. She said many deaf people live in small homes, so this dog is a good size for them.
Schaser has placed at least 75 hearing dogs in the last 17 years. She requires that each deaf person show proof of his/her deafness with an audiogram. O’Shea said she has been profoundly deaf since the age of 4.
“In one ear, I have some residual hearing that allows me to wear a hearing aid,” O’Shea said. “The other ear is totally deaf, and because of that, I don't wear a hearing aid in that ear.”
In addition to dogs for the deaf, Schaser raises Golden retrievers to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Schaser and O’Shea are organizing a dog walk to raise money for the Canine Hearing Companions. It costs about $5,000 to train each dog, and without fundraisers like this, Schaser cannot continue to do this work. They hope to have the walk at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater or some other Central Jersey location. Anyone can participate, with or without a dog, and they are looking for volunteers. Donations also are welcome.
For more information, to make donations or to register as an organizer or walker, call Schaser at 856-696-0969 or email her at CHCHEARINGDOG@aol.com. You also can visit her website at index or mail her at 247 E. Forest Grove Road Vineland, NJ 08360.
Imagine you would like to have your own business, caring for children in your home, even though your hearing is profoundly impaired and you don’t always hear your own son. That’s the predicament that Diana O’Shea has faced. But her counselor at Catholic Charities, Michelle Cline, has referred her to Canine Hearing Companions, a nonprofit organization run by dog trainer Debby Schaser of Vineland.
Schaser works with prison inmates from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton to train Corgeranian puppies to be aides for people such as O’Shea who can hardly hear. The puppies learn to recognize sounds such as their owner’s name, things falling or the doorbell. When they hear these sounds, they alert their owner. O’Shea soon will receive a Corgeranian puppy named Sky who also has learned to recognize a baby’s cry, telephones ringing, and other children’s sounds.
The Corgeranian, a Pomeranian-Corgi mix, is the only breed Schaser uses for hearing dogs because they are small and intelligent. She said many deaf people live in small homes, so this dog is a good size for them.
Schaser has placed at least 75 hearing dogs in the last 17 years. She requires that each deaf person show proof of his/her deafness with an audiogram. O’Shea said she has been profoundly deaf since the age of 4.
“In one ear, I have some residual hearing that allows me to wear a hearing aid,” O’Shea said. “The other ear is totally deaf, and because of that, I don't wear a hearing aid in that ear.”
In addition to dogs for the deaf, Schaser raises Golden retrievers to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Schaser and O’Shea are organizing a dog walk to raise money for the Canine Hearing Companions. It costs about $5,000 to train each dog, and without fundraisers like this, Schaser cannot continue to do this work. They hope to have the walk at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater or some other Central Jersey location. Anyone can participate, with or without a dog, and they are looking for volunteers. Donations also are welcome.
For more information, to make donations or to register as an organizer or walker, call Schaser at 856-696-0969 or email her at CHCHEARINGDOG@aol.com. You also can visit her website at index or mail her at 247 E. Forest Grove Road Vineland, NJ 08360.