Carly says “I used to rely on Phil until he got a new job which involved him being away on business. Most of the time that he was away, I did not sleep well, often staying awake until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning, because I was concerned about not being able to hear anything at night, feeling on edge. Then beautiful hearing dog Beth came into my life, and she has changed it completely. She has given me peace of mind at night time, she’s a great companion and she does a great job with the doorbell, smoke alarm, alarm clock and cooker timer.”

Carly plays in goal for the England and Great Britain Deaf Women’s football team. She says “My husband and family have been very supportive in looking after Beth while I’m away for football training and competitions. The longest I’ve been away without Beth was one month, when I competed in the Deaflympics in Taiwan in 2009. Great Britain came fourth overall in the competition. When I returned I wondered if Beth would still remember her duties, but she hadn’t forgotten at all. Sometimes I play football with Beth; she is a much better goalkeeper than me!”

Carly works with deaf people at Essex Cares Sensory Service and she always takes Beth to the office, to meetings, training and on visits to deaf people to assess their needs. She says “People often ask me to leave Beth with them as they love her and they are very impressed with her behaviour in their home. She also puts a smile on their faces, especially elderly people, as some are quite depressed with their hearing loss.”

“Beth fully deserves to be awarded the title of Hearing Dog of the Month, as I’ve had her for five years and she has been doing her duties every day at home and at work. She’s a superb hearing dog, is very well behaved and is quite well known in the local community which is a great way to raise awareness about the work of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.