Emily wears many hats—she’s a sister, daughter, athlete, Tasmanian local, statistician, disability consultant, and now, a proud recipient of Hearing Assistance Dog, Pansy.
Born deaf with Sensorineural Unilateral hearing loss in her left ear, Emily only discovered her hearing loss at age five. “I have never known any different.” She had been considering applying for a Hearing Assistance Dog for some time, but her type of hearing loss often meant she was excluded. With encouragement from her family and those around her, she applied—and was thrilled to be accepted.
Before Pansy, life was stressful and overwhelming. “I needed to think about my hearing loss all the time, constantly worried about missing noises. I thought this was how life was supposed to be.” Over time, this affected Emily’s relationships and independence.
After months of waiting, the day finally arrived—Pansy was here. Life since then has changed dramatically. “I am more outgoing and a lot less stressed.” Pansy alerts Emily when her phone rings, ensuring she never misses a call, even if it’s in another room.
Having an Assistance Dog has also helped Emily become more active. Most days, she and Pansy can be found at the beach on their daily walk. Her relationships have also strengthened. “Everyone wants to talk to me about how cute my Pansy is. She means the world to me. She is my life now—she is incredibly helpful, and I cannot imagine life without her.”
Emily’s favourite things about Pansy are her personality and her love of working. Recently, her footy club even discussed making Pansy the official ‘morale officer’—a role she’d excel at, given how much she loves receiving pats at training (when she’s off duty, of course!).
One of Emily’s favourite things to do is take Pansy home to visit family, where she gets to see her beloved “cousins.” “I love seeing my family spoiling her. It warms my heart that she is considered family—the grand dog of the family.” Pansy has settled perfectly into Emily’s busy life. Now accredited, the two have a lifetime of memories to create together.
