For little hearing assistance dog Ollie, no task is too big
For years, the Kilpatricks and their Lions Club have supported a hearing assistance dog program. Now it's their turn to participate.
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Murray Bridge local Carolyn Kilpatrick says her life has changed since Ollie, a Lions hearing assistance dog, came into her life.
Ollie is part of a national Lions assistance dog program.
Training an assistance dog costs around $40,000, and would be impossible without the support of local Lions clubs around the country.
Dogs are provided free of charge to recipients.
Lions Assistance Dogs CEO David Horne said 41 dogs would be provided to people across Australia this year, the most the organisation had ever been able to provide.
“We train dogs in three specific areas: hearing assistance, medical assistance and psychiatric assistance,” he said.
“Our medical assistance dog program began in 2021 and primarily supports people with diabetes.
“In 2024 we introduced our psychiatric assistance dog program to assist veterans living with PTSD.”
The Murray Bridge City Lions Club has been instrumental in supporting Mrs Kilpatrick, her husband Roger and Ollie since his arrival.
Members of the club have actively participated in Ollie’s continued training and helped Mr and Mrs Kilpatrick adjust to having him around.
Mrs Kilpatrick was born with undiagnosed hearing loss and now has two cochlear implants to help her navigate the world.
“When my implants aren’t turned on, I can’t hear a thing,” she said.
“Ollie gives us an added sense of security and is so joyful to have around.”
Ollie is trained to alert his owner to around 10 commands by touching his paw to her leg. Examples include her phone or the doorbell ringing, the oven timer or morning alarm sounds.
If it’s the smoke alarm, Ollie will run directly to Carolyn, touch a paw to her leg, and drop to the ground in a warning signal ensuring everyone is safe.
In addition to home support, all Lions assistance dogs must pass a public access test prior to delivery, as well as an accreditation three months after delivery, and subsequently every two years.
Each dog’s behaviour is closely assessed and monitored to ensure it is well-behaved and represented in all public environments.
Ollie is also a wonderful visual aid when he and Mrs Kilpatrick go out in public, given hearing loss is not, at first glance, an obvious disability.
The Lions assistance dog program is always looking for people to volunteer with their in-home training and as puppy raisers.
Being less than a 30-minute drive from the national training centre at Verdun, Murray Bridge is ideally situated should you wish to get involved.
- More information: Contact Murray Bridge City Lions Club on 0429 325 131 or the Assistance Dog Training Centre on 8388 7836.
