Making a paws-itive difference in the workplace

A fur-midable new addition is helping Far North District Council take the lead in making its workplace more accessible.

Fable is a qualified and accredited hearing dog who is doing a grrr-eat job helping her human, Cath Beaumont, at the council’s Kaikohe office.

Cath, Roading Corridor Manager, is deaf in one ear and has significant hearing loss in the other, which can make it difficult to pick up sounds when people are speaking from behind her or outside her field of vision.

Enter Fable, the ear-resistible furball to lend a helping paw. She alerts Cath to sounds, supporting her to navigate her working environment with greater independence.

Fable joined FNDC in November last year after completing her training with Hearing Dogs NZ in New Plymouth. She has since settled into life at the Kaikohe office and spends her working days alongside the roading team.

For FNDC, having Fable in the office with Cath is part of creating an environment where staff have the support they need to do their mahi. It also highlights the practical changes to accessibility that make a meaningful difference in the workplace..

For Fable and Cath, it is definitely a paws-itive example of how the right support can help at work. And for the rest of the team, there is now an enthusiastic new colleague helping put accessibility into practice – one wag at a time.

Hearing Dogs NZ trains and places hearing dogs with deaf and hard-of-hearing New Zealanders. The organisation assesses applications individually and provides hearing dogs to successful recipients at no charge.

“Having Fable has made a great difference for me at home and in the workplace. Hearing Dogs NZ have been so supportive throughout the process. I feel so lucky to have such a beautiful little soul helping me”, said Cath.

Anyone who thinks someone in their whānau could benefit from a hearing dog can contact Hearing Dogs NZ directly to find out more and check the current eligibility criteria.

The organisation says applicants generally need to have profound deafness or moderate to severe hearing loss, a need to be alerted to sounds regularly, and be able to physically and financially care for a hearing dog. Other requirements also apply.

Registered hearing dogs are also eligible for free dog registration with Far North District Council.