Our Guest Speakers at our meeting held on 23 June, were Vicki Bond, Ric Vanderbom & “Brody”
representing Pambula-Merimbula Lions Hearing Dogs Program
Australian Lions Hearing Dogs procures, trains and places Hearing Assistance Dogs with deaf, or hard of hearing, people all around Australia. They are the only Australian organisation accredited by Assistance Dogs International to carry out such work.
Since 1980, Australian Lions Hearing Dogs (ALHD) have provided a set of “furry ears” to many hundreds of Australians, all made possible from the ongoing support of our generous donors and the Lions Clubs across Australia. Each Hearing Assistance Dog costs ALHD upwards of $37,000 to train, deliver and support, and is gifted free of charge, to its deaf or hard of hearing new owner.
One in six Australians has some form of hearing loss, with this number expected to rise to one in four by 2050. Severe or profound hearing loss currently affects close to 400,000 people. Whilst hearing loss impacts all ages, the numbers are greater in older Australians.
The technological advances with hearing aids and cochlear implants continue to improve, however there are times when something extra is needed. This is where the complementary assistance of an Australian Lions Hearing Dog makes a real difference. Go visit their website: https://lionshearingdogs.com.au for more information.