IT takes a remarkable animal to become a guide dog for the blind but imagine what it must be like for a deaf person to have their own four-legged hearing aid? Charlotte Cutts-Bland, of Pendleton, in the Ribble Valley, is the new community appeals co-ordinator for the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, in charge of raising money to provide the service. Reporter VIVIEN MASON went to meet her -- and her remarkable dog Fleck.

IF a smoke alarm goes off or the phone rings in Charlotte Cutts-Bland's house, there's a guarantee it won't be missed -- even though she's deaf.

Charlotte (pictured), 31, of Whalley Road, Pendleton is the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People's newly appointed community appeals coordinator for the North West

And it's thanks to trusty dog Fleck that she can carry out her job as the hound has become her pair of ears.

Fleck, a seven-year-old Welsh Springer Spaniel, has never left her side in six years.

The charity trained the dog to respond to both communication and danger sounds by touching Charlotte with his paws when the door bell sounds or the answerphone or fax machine rings. He will even tell her when someone has sent a text message to her mobile phone or if someone is calling her name.

Should a burglar or smoke alarm sound, he will alert her then lie down to indicate danger. Soon he will be trained to respond to the cries of the baby she is expecting as she will not be able to hear it.

Since the HDDP charity's inception in 1982, more than 700 hearing dogs have been placed with owners, greatly increasing their quality of life. There are 10 of these dogs, of various breeds, currently in the North West.

Charlotte, who is married to Lee, only took on the co-ordinator job in October but has already established contact with groups and individuals in the area.

Her job, which she carries out in her home is to coordinate and support volunteer branches of the charity across Lancashire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man, to enable the selection and training of sound-responsive dogs which become the ears of their deaf owner.

It's a job that wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for her own pooch. With the help of Typetalk, a third-party telephone operator, she can communicate directly with hearing people through a phone text service called Minicom. Hearing people call the operator who then links into Charlotte's Minicom system -- Fleck tells her when this is happening.

You then tell the operator what to type and she reads out Charlotte's reply.

One of the biggest projects Charlotte is working on at the moment is recruiting people to run for the charity in the London Marathon on April 22.

She is urgently seeking those who have registered with the race to fly the flag for the charity as they take part in the 26 mile race. It will not only help raise vital funds, but also give the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity a higher profile.

The special running package offers accommodation and transport, post-race hospitality and training tips.

The charity is also looking for donations to fund its training programme at its centre in Lewknor, Oxfordshire.

Each dog receives specialised training and has to pass each of the separate stages essential in its development as a working hearing dog, whether at the puppy stage with a volunteers socialiser, or more advanced work with a trainer and finally the recipient.

The money the charity raises is used in all the stages of the dog's development as it receives no Government grant aid.

If you can offer the charity help you can contact the training centre, Tel 01844 353898, fax 01844 353099, or e-mail on info@hearing-dogs.co.uk

To speak to Charlotte direct call the Typetalk operator on 0800 515158 and then give the Minicom number 01200 429963. You can also leave an answerphone message or send a fax to Charlotte on 01200 422581.