“Tina has made me happy again”

Kiritaki/client Annette Barker recently came into The Hearing House to tell the team about her experience with Tina, her Hearing Dog, and how she’s changed her life.

Born on Valentine’s Day 2024, Tina is a golden Cavoodle – a King Charles spaniel and miniature poodle cross -- and one of only a handful of certified hearing dogs in New Zealand. Trained through Hearing Dogs NZ in New Plymouth, she helps Annette by alerting her to important sounds — the doorbell, an alarm, or someone calling her name.

But Tina’s impact goes far beyond her training.

“She’s full of fun,” Annette says. “Every morning, she looks at me with one eye open as if to say, ‘Are you ready for the day?’ After losing my cat of 18 years, having Tina has made me so happy.

“The key difference is simply that I’m happy again.”

For Annette, the ability to access sound again with her cochlear implant has been life-changing — but it’s Tina who has helped her re-discover happiness after losing her husband, Derek, to Lewy Body Dementia last year.

The pair are now a team in training. Their days include structured training exercises and everyday practice out in the community.

“She needs to be confident in busy places like supermarkets and malls, greeting strangers and handling new environments,” Annette explains.

At first, Tina was a bit unwell, but she’s now thriving — and so is Annette. She even takes Tina for visits to the care home where her husband was a patient for the final years of his life.

The companionship has brought a visible change. “My daughter Sarah says she’s noticed a real difference in me,” Annette says. “At times it can be exhausting for both of us, but I feel that I’m helping her as much as she’s helping me.

“I couldn’t imagine life without her now.”

For more information on Hearing Dogs NZ, please see: https://www.hearingdogs.org.nz/about

Annette Barker and her Hearing Dog, Tina, at The Hearing House