The World Mission Society trains service dogs for individuals with special needs.
Hearing Dogs – As defined by the American Kennel Club, “Hearing dogs are specifically trained to support the needs of severely hearing-impaired people. They serve as their masters’ ears and provide the added benefit of companionship. By federal law, service animals including hearing dogs may go anywhere the public is permitted (restaurants, stores, government buildings, etc.) and live in housing where pets are prohibited. They are not pets–but valuable assistants for people with disabilities.
Hearing dogs are trained to alert their owners to common sounds like doorbells, oven timers, smoke alarms, telephones, babies’ cries, or alarm clocks. Hearing dogs make physical contact with their masters, nudging or pawing them to get their attention. Most are trained to lead their handlers toward the source of a sound.
Outside the home, hearing dogs perform additional duties. Most will not respond to ambient street noises like car horns or sirens. However, because they are keenly alert to environmental sounds, their partners can ascertain a great deal of information about their surroundings by observing the dogs’ cues. This serves to alert people with severe hearing losses to the approach of persons or vehicles which may be a threat or hazard. Owners of hearing dogs report that having a trained canine helper gives them an increased sense of security and independence that other assistive means just can’t provide.”
Seizure alert dogs are trained to find help or assist its partner during and/or after a seizure. Dogs trained for this role will be able to naturally detect an oncoming seizure and are trained in a way to warn its partner in time to move to a secure location. In the instance of an individual who is diabetic and experiences seizures brought on by low blood sugar, a properly trained service dog can alert its partner or another family member in time to raise sugar levels before the onset of a seizure.
All service dogs come trained to live inside a residence and are familiar with basic commands, both verbally and in sign language.
For more information on our service dog program, please contact our El Paso office.
