Mad Ravings....

Oh Geez! That lady works in my department. Her name is Maryanne, She's almost completely deaf. She's a total bitch! Not that the bitch part has anything to do with the dog..haha I think it does stuff like lets her know when the phone rings or if something she can't hear is approaching her (like a car if she crosses the street).

They can alert their owners to smoke alarms going off, stop them from stepping into oncoming traffic when vehicles can't be seen, and help in lots of other ways. It does seem strange at first, but there are loads of other reasons to have service dogs. Just plain understanding companionship is another good reason. Deafness isn't something that can be "seen" so having a service dog with you can alert people to the fact that they may need to be a bit more patient in dealing with you. They can work as an icebreaker, too, because many people are timid about talking to people with handicaps. Even something so conspicuous like having a service dog can help "normalize" the handicapped person in other people's eyes.

They usually wear orange leashes
and they alert them like when the phone rings (for teletype stuff) and when the bell rings and if the teakettle goes off. . .etc :))