Hearing Dogs

What Hearing Dogs does

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a UK-registered charity (England & Wales no. 293358, Scotland no. SC040486) headquartered in Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, that trains assistance dogs for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals. Its core service is the provision of trained hearing dogs that alert recipients to important sounds such as alarms, doorbells, phones, and danger signals, complemented by Hearing Link Services, a community-based peer support offering for people living with hearing loss. The organization reports supporting 5,968 people with hearing loss, maintaining 1,141 active hearing dog partnerships, and reaching 1,557 community support attendees in 2023-24.

The underlying "technology" is a domain-specialized canine training methodology delivered through a national network of Volunteer Dog Trainers, supplemented by accessibility infrastructure such as a British Sign Language video interpreter partnership with Sign Solutions. Products and services include Hearing Dogs, Hearing Link Services, the BSL interpreter service, a Puppy Sponsorship donor engagement program, and The Grange Restaurant as an auxiliary facility at the training centre. The charity also operates an online shop for merchandise.

The business model is donation-led, with revenue generated through voluntary individual donations, regular giving, fundraising events, legacy gifts, puppy sponsorships, and retail sales; services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Commercial activities are conducted through two wholly owned trading subsidiaries — Hearing Dogs for Deaf People (Trading) Ltd and Hearing Link (Trading) Ltd — while a wholly owned adjacent operating subsidiary, Hearing Link, delivers the community support services. Royal Patronage is held by HRH The Princess Royal, and the organization is accredited by the Fundraising Regulator.

Name

Hearing Dogs

Legal name

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

Website

https://hearingdogs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a UK charity that trains assistance dogs for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals and provides community peer support, funded by donations, fundraising, sponsorships, and retail rather than fees for service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Assistance Dog and Disability Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

Keywords

• Assistance dog training
• Hearing loss support
• Disability services
• Charity fundraising
• Community peer support

Headquarters

HQ city

Princes Risborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream through individual donations, regular giving, and fundraising events. The charity relies on public generosity to fund operations and dog training programs.
2. Puppy Sponsorship: Sponsors can choose a puppy, follow its journey, and receive welcome packs, updates, and Puppy Pen episodes. This provides recurring engagement and revenue.
3. Retail/Shop: The charity operates an online shop selling merchandise, with sales contributing to revenue.
4. Legacy Giving: The charity encourages supporters to leave gifts in their wills, providing long-term sustainable revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a UK charity that trains assistance dogs to alert deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to important sounds (alarms, doorbells, phones, danger signals), providing safety, companionship, and increased independence. The charity also delivers Hearing Link Services, offering community-based peer support and shared experiences for people living with hearing loss, funded entirely through donations, puppy sponsorship, legacy giving, and retail merchandise.

Product overview

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a UK charity that provides a unified service portfolio focused on transforming the lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The core offerings consist of Hearing Dogs (trained assistance dogs that alert recipients to essential sounds) and Hearing Link Services (community-based peer support and shared experiences). Supporting services include a Puppy Sponsorship program for donor engagement, a BSL Video Interpreter Service for accessibility, and The Grange Restaurant as an auxiliary visitor facility. The organization does not operate a technology product but provides charitable services focused on hearing assistance and community support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hearing Dogs Trained assistance dogs that alert deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to important sounds such as alarms, doorbells, phones, and danger signals, providing safety, companionship, and increased independence.
• Hearing Link Services Community support services providing shared experiences and peer connections for people living with hearing loss, helping them live well and build confidence through connection with others.
• BSL Video Interpreter Service British Sign Language video interpreter service enabling deaf BSL users to contact the organization via the InterpretersLive! platform provided by Sign Solutions, available on-demand 7 days a week between 9am-5pm.
• Puppy Sponsorship Annual donor engagement program allowing supporters to sponsor a specific puppy, follow its training journey, and receive a welcome pack, four in-depth updates, and at least four fun online Puppy Pen episodes.
• The Grange Restaurant On-site restaurant at the charity's Saunderton training centre, available to visitors and supporters as an auxiliary visitor facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,968 people with hearing loss supported in 2023-24
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sign Solutions (InterpretersLive!)coreTechnology or IntegrationSign Solutions provides the InterpretersLive! service enabling British Sign Language (BSL) users to contact Hearing Dogs through a BSL video interpreter. The service is available on-demand 7 days a week between 9am-5pm, with pre-booking available for other times. This partnership ensures accessibility for deaf beneficiaries who use BSL as their primary communication method.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Dogs Trust: UK's largest dog welfare charity, focused on rehoming rather than assistance dog training. Competes for the same UK supporter and donor audience and operates a similar volunteer/reputation-driven model.
• International Hearing Dog Inc. US-based hearing dog training organization with an internationally recognized mission that mirrors Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Not a UK competitor, but a near-perfect international analogue for comparison and best-practice benchmarking.

Emerging players

• Medical Detection Dogs: UK charity training dogs to detect human diseases and assist medical conditions. Comparable training methodology and volunteer model, but different end-beneficiary — represents an adjacent use case for the same underlying canine training expertise.

Direct peers

• Canine Partners: UK charity training assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities (excluding visual and hearing impairments). Closest operational peer — same training methodology, same volunteer-driven model, same UK focus, and competing for the same donor and volunteer pool.
• Support Dogs: UK charity training assistance dogs for people with epilepsy, physical disabilities, and autism. Comparable volunteer-run, donation-funded model with overlapping UK donor base and similar cost structure per dog trained.
• Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID): Major UK charity serving deaf and hard-of-hearing people through information, advocacy, and community services. Comparable beneficiary segment and UK donor base, though focused on non-dog support services — a likely Hearing Link competitor and partner.
• Dogs for the Deaf: US-based charity training hearing assistance dogs for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals. The international direct counterpart to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, with a virtually identical mission, training methodology, and beneficiary profile.

Broad incumbents

• Guide Dogs for the Blind Association: The UK's largest assistance dog charity, training guide dogs for visually impaired people. Directly comparable charity operating model, volunteer network, and beneficiary delivery model, with overlapping donor pools and a shared 'assistance dog' brand category.

Others

• Peterborough Hearing Dogs (historical): Historical name for the same organization (Hearing Dogs for Deaf People). Included as a reference point rather than a current independent peer.
• Sense: UK charity supporting people who are deafblind or have sensory impairments. Adjacent beneficiary segment and overlapping UK donor pool, but does not train assistance dogs; useful for measuring cross-disability fundraising dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hearingdogs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HearingDogs1
• Facebookfacebook.com/hearing.dogs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hearing-dogs-for-deaf-people
• Instagraminstagram.com/hearingdogs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hearing Dogs