Some heroes do not wear capes. They wear service dog vests, and that is true of Baldwin, a helper dog who recently saved his person from a potentially devastating situation.
In the quiet routines of daily life, where the hum of a household can mask hidden dangers, Baldwin, a standard poodle trained by Paws With A Cause, proved his mettle as a hearing dog. Matched with Angela, who is hard of hearing, Baldwin’s role extends beyond companionship—he alerts her to sounds she might miss, such as doorbells, alarms or her name being called.
One evening, after Angela prepared dinner, Baldwin began persistently nudging her, a clear signal that something was amiss. Following him to the kitchen, she discovered the gas stove had been left on, with gas leaking and the burner clicking—a hazard she hadn’t detected. “I was in the other room and didn’t hear the click, click, clicking sound of the burner trying to light,” Angela said. “Baldwin kept nudging me until I followed him to the kitchen.” Baldwin’s timely alert averted what could have been a serious incident, highlighting the lifesaving potential of these specially trained animals.
Paws With A Cause, based in Wayland, has been transforming lives through such partnerships for decades. The nonprofit organization custom-trains assistance dogs like Baldwin to support people with disabilities, including those who are hard of hearing. These dogs undergo rigorous preparation to detect and respond to specific sounds, fostering independence, safety and confidence for their handlers.
“I get goosebumps now,” Angela said. “We could have even blown up or we could have went to sleep. Either way it would have been ugly. So, he saved us!”
Baldwin’s heroism has earned him a spot as a semi-finalist in the American Humane Hero Dog Awards in the service and guide/hearing dog category. Readers can vote for him daily until Sept. 15 at americanhumane.org/hero-dog/Baldwin.
