Signal Dogs Help the Deaf Survive : They warn owners of dangers, alert them to a knock on door

Mary Ann Saporito dropped her 75 cents through the bus’s coin slot and began to climb aboard with her sheltie, Brian, behind her.

“Hold it, lady,” said the driver, who then reached out to stop her when she didn’t respond. Saporito, 42, of Fountain Valley is deaf and didn’t realize the driver wanted her to wait while he radioed headquarters to find out if Brian could board.

Brian could because he had the proper identification. Without it, he would not be permitted on the bus, or into restaurants or the library or on the beach.

Brian, a thoroughbred Shetland sheepdog, is one of about 250 “signal dogs” trained to assist the deaf in a program sponsored by the Riverside Humane Society. Because many people don’t know that signal dogs have the same rights as dog guides for the blind, Brian and others of his ilk must carry ID cards--complete with photos and explanations of their purpose--issued by the society.

Brian “tells” Saporito when someone is knocking on the door, when the tea kettle is whistling, when the stove timer goes off, when a fire alarm sounds. He gives her a nudge and leads her to the source of the sound.

If she drops something as they walk, Brian remains stationary until she picks it up. Once, he alerted her to a small grease fire on the stove.

The sheltie also responds to some well-learned signs, said Saporito, who reads lips and speaks with ease. For example, if Saporito feels threatened, she can signal Brian to bark. “It’s fun for the dogs. And they get a treat for any sound work,” she said.

The Riverside Humane Society, through its “Companion Dog” project, has provided dogs to the hearing-impaired since 1979, program coordinator Karen Detterich said. Clients pay only a $25 fee, for which they receive the dog and 28 hours of training over 14 weeks.

The program actually costs about $1,000 per dog, Detterich said, which is paid by several community groups.

Many of the dogs were strays or abandoned pets who otherwise would have been put to death, although clients also can bring their own pets. Most of the animals must be young to be trained properly.

The biggest problem clients face is that their deafness isn’t obvious, and people often don’t know about signal dogs. Nor do people often recognize the other identifying symbol: an orange leash.

Therefore, Brian’s credentials frequently are viewed with a degree of disbelief. Because of the problem, “I have not been brave enough to try and take him some places,” such as into restaurants, Saporito said.

The bus driver’s mild challenge compares well with some of the more caustic responses she has received, she said.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of resistance so much as ignorance,” Detterich said. “Once people at a facility know that it’s a signal dog and get used to its presence, there’s almost always no problem.”

Brian has given Saporito some independence, a little time to herself and a sense of security. “I couldn’t relax or read or just take it easy without him,” she said.

The experience has been so beneficial that she recently got a poodle, Jamie, who will be trained as a signal dog for her 14-year-old daughter, Annamaria.

Both Annamaria and Saporito’s son, Vincent, 11, have Usher’s syndrome, a form of retinitis pigmentosa that gradually erodes sight and hearing ability. Vincent, who wants to be an actor and has appeared in three episodes of “Dallas,” hasn’t decided whether he wants his own signal dog, his mother said.