'Life-saving' dog helped restore woman's confidence

A woman whose confidence "crumbled away" as her hearing deteriorated says a specially trained dog has helped her rebuild her life.

Linda Smith from Yate, near Bristol, experienced worsening hearing loss from her 20s, alongside balance problems that sometimes caused her to fall without warning. She is now profoundly deaf.

The 66-year-old said everyday life went from increasingly difficult and isolating to "comfortable" after the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People partnered her with a yellow labrador called Toffee.

Confident in his ability to alert her to life-saving sounds such as alarms, Smith said she can finally remove her hearing aids and "sleep without fear".

"I couldn't hear everyday sounds, so I wore my hearing aids 24 hours a day – even in bed.

"My sleep was very broken as it dug into my neck," she said.

Smith explained how going shopping or for a walk became exhausting and stressful.

"Once at the supermarket, someone physically moved me because I hadn't heard them ask me to step aside," she said.

She said the tipping point came after she failed to hear her boiler burst.

"I'd just finished getting ready to go to a close friend's wedding. I put my hearing aids back in and that's when I heard water running," she added.

In 2025 she decided to apply for support before meeting Toffee who changed her life.

"The first night I had him, I took my hearing aids out before I went to bed and slept without fear, knowing he would alert me if there was any danger," she added.

Toffee has been life-saving in terms of alarming her to dangers, Smith said.

Beyond practical support, she said Toffee has given her confidence.

"He has made me happier than I've been in a long time.

"I sometimes wonder how I lived without him," Smith added.

Charity communications executive Penny Porter said hearing dogs provide practical support, "constant companionship" and "a renewed sense of connection to the world".

"We're incredibly proud to have supported Linda and to see her confidence and independence grow with Toffee by her side," she said.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.