About Us

20 Years of Experience
About Us
We Train Hearing Dogs Who Transform Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing People's Lives
Hearing dogs are custom-trained to assist people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, they are working partners for people with disabilities. Hearing dogs are specifically trained to support the needs of severely hearing impaired people. They serve as their owners’ ears and provide the added benefit of companionship.
Interested In A Dog?
Our Mission
Mission Statement


Our Vision
Vision Statement
Our Team
Team YHD



David Allery
Board Chairman
David grew up around dogs, primarily herding breeds, and loves the companionship they provide. He’s hard-of-hearing and has been for 20+ years. With a master’s degree in nonprofit management and fund development, he’s very much looking forward to supporting the deaf and HOH community with Your Hearing Dog, Inc.
In his spare time David enjoys writing and publishing (the author of six books) as well as traveling, hanging out with family and friends and spending time with his wife, Robin, and their dog TJ.


Judith Mueller
Vice Chairman
Judith Mueller currently serves as a Board Member for Your Hearing Dog. In her dayjob, she serves as the Executive Director for The Mueller Health Foundation (MHF), a family-led foundation that supports grantmaking in the area of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on Tuberculosis.
Prior to joining MHF, Judith worked at KPMG for the Development and Exempt Organization (DEO) group. She focused her time on providing client facing consulting services in the areas of process optimization, grant reviews and grant performance assessments, data analytics and impact measurement, and enterprise risk management for private and corporate foundations, NGOs, and Corporate Citizenship initiatives.
In her free time, she enjoys going to the dog park in New York City and teaching new tricks to her 9-year old Mini Australian Shepherd.


Heather Brown
Grant Researcher/Writer
Heather earned her master’s degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with an emphasis in
Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Utah in 2013. She is a certified Adaptive Recreation
and Sports Specialist from the Blazesports Institute and is a certified as a Therapeutic Recreation
Specialist by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.
Her background includes working through the rehabilitation process with individuals diagnosed with
complex disabilities, event planning, grant research and writing, and project management.
With her recreation therapy experience, she has become a strong advocate for assisting individuals
with disabilities identify their strengths and overcome their perceived barriers.
When not working, she enjoys gardening, yoga, baking, hiking with her dog, and just spending time
outside with friends and family.


Lauren Awaya
Volunteer Coordinator
Lauren received her bachelor’s degree in Physiology & Neuroscience from the University of California San Diego, where her studies in neuroscience led her to pursue research and advocacy in audiology and the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community. She developed a passion for working with and for the DHH community through her experiences as a teaching assistant and camp counselor for DHH students.
Five years ago, Lauren adopted and fell in love with her best friend Kona. Through her journey with him, she learned to believe in the healing power of a canine best friend and shares excitement with Your Hearing Dog in supporting those in the DHH community to find their companion.

Ashraful Arefin
Web Expert