General News
12 December, 2025
An extra set of ears
RUTH Stewart-Mann knows firsthand how valuable assistance dogs are in a person’s day-to-day living.
With limited hearing, Ruth often finds it difficult to hear such things as a door knock, a ring tone or a call for help from husband Andrew, who is prone to falls.
That’s where Freddie, a Tenterfield Terrier assistance dog, has proven invaluable.
“Freddie is just wonderful,” Ruth said.
“He always lets me know if someone is knocking on our door, or if I don’t hear the phone ringing.
“He is very responsive and very affectionate; he passed all his tests with flying colours last week and now wears an assistance dog jacket which means I can take him out everywhere; to shopping centres, to work, wherever I go he comes too.”
Freddie is part of the Lions Assistance Dogs program.
Lions Assistance Dogs is a not-for-profit organisation providing life-changing assistance dogs to Australians in need, free of charge.
Based in South Australia, the organisation provides hearing assistance dogs, medical assistance dogs and psychiatric assistance dogs Australia-wide.
In Warrnambool alone there are currently five assistance dogs living with, and helping, local residents.
And all thanks to the dedicated and passionate members of the Warrnambool Lions Club who continue to fund the program at a local level.
“To watch how dogs such as Freddie interact with people and to see how much he is helping Ruth is reward in itself,” Lions club member Mark Croucher said.
“Dogs such as Freddie are originally trained by professionals in South Australia and then we continue this locally by doing regular home visits, in pairs, over a period of about 12 weeks and observe how the dogs are going.
“Recipients of dogs can have varying degrees of hearing impairments; some more so than others.
“These dogs can make a huge difference to someone’s life which is just wonderful.”
