Evie’s Dog Boosts her Confidence

23 Feb 09

Little Evie Crook is the youngest person to get an assistance dog and her confidence is starting to skyrocket.

Since getting Gem, her hearing dog, she’s sleeping in her own bed for the first time and is much more chatty, her parents say.

“I love Gem more than 10 million bags of sugar!,” the youngster is reported to have declared with glee.

Evie is severely deaf, and is one of 12 children taking part in a trial organised by the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity. Previously only deaf people over the age of 18 have been allowed to work with hearing dogs.

The hearing dog has been a life-line to the young girl, who explained that she didn’t “get into any trouble now Gem is here and Mummy doesn’t shout as much!”

Evie, who lives in Derbyshire with mum Becky, dad Dave and big sister Maddy, is the only one in her family with hearing difficulties. No wonder she sometimes feels isolated - which was leading to more serious behavioural problems for the young girl: she suffered sleep traumas and would often wander off when in public.

But her family say that since Evie was paired up with Gem, a two-year-old Labroador, all their lives have changed immeasurably.

Becky says: “Gem trots round everywhere after Evie, it’s almost like she’s checking where she’s going, which I know Evie is finding reassuring.”

Gem has now been trained to find Evie and tell her when one of her family want her attention. The dog also acts as an extra pair of ears when out in public or crossing the road, and can warn Evie if a smoke alarm goes off in the home.

SuperWoof to the Hearing Dogs!

SuperWoof to Evie & Gem! May they have many happy years together!

Awoof! Archie