AN INSPIRATIONAL canine companion has passed away after nine years as a hearing dog.

Emi, a bichon frise havenese cross, meant the world to her owner Thelma Mannington and accompanied her to fundraising events for hearing dogs across mid Cheshire.

“During our time together Emi was my ears, and I am in a silent world now that I no longer have her alerting me to different sounds with her paw, which made me feel safe," Thelma said.

Emi was trained to alert Thelma to sounds like the doorbell and alarms and placed with Thelma by the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Emi also inspired the Northwich-based north west charity Deafness Support Network (DSN) to sponsor its own puppy.

Thelma and Emi helped DSN raise £10,000 for the naming and training of hearing puppy Chester, who was born in April this year.

Thelma said: “Emi was a wonderful companion and knowing that she helped raise the money for Chester’s sponsorship is a great comfort, and I know he’ll be just as special to his owner as Emi was to me.”

Gill Reeder, Operations Executive at DSN, said: “Emi was a true companion to Thelma and made an enormous difference to her life.

“After seeing the impact Emi had on Thelma’s quality of life we were inspired to raise the money needed to sponsor one of our own.

" With Thelma and Emi’s invaluable help we raised every penny we needed and now Chester the puppy is busy training to make another deaf person’s life better, which is an amazing legacy for Emi to leave behind.”

Chester will be carefully matched and placed with a deaf person on completion of his training in 2015.

A new DSN calendar with exclusive pictures of Chester the puppy will be available soon, with proceeds from the sales going towards helping individuals with a hearing loss across Cheshire.

To pre-order one of the calendars email info@dsnonline.co.uk.