Octave Bulckaert and Tinka have in common that they were trained at UniLaSalle Rennes, one in Environmental Engineering, the other as a listening dog. A duo that cannot be ignored!
UniCap, an associative project above all!
UniCap, a student association of UniLaSalle Rennes, created in September 2021, was born from a desire to raise awareness of disability: French sign language (LSF) courses, awareness games based on the 5 senses... And it had the project to welcome a dog in training at the school.
The role of a listening dog and its training
Une Patte Tendue is an association that gives free listening dogs to children, adults and seniors with a hearing deficit.
The listening dog :
- Warns his master and guides him to the source of the sounds,
- Responds to requests in sign language,
- keeps his master away from danger when moving around.
The training takes place in 3 stages:
1/ The puppy stays with the foster family until he is 10 months old
Current phase where Tinka is, with Octave as foster family
2/ Specific training of the listening dog over a period of 7 months.
3/ Handing over the dog to a deaf or hard of hearing person, with a follow-up by the handler-dog team.
Octave and Tinka, a beautiful encounter
Passionate about animals since his childhood, Octave welcomed Tinka into his world for a period of 10 months. To have obtained the trust of the associations was for Octave a real joy.
"First of all, I love dogs!
I want to be helpful and make people aware that hearing dogs are essential to some people's lives.
are essential to the lives of some people.
It is a way to contribute to a better integration of people with disabilities."
signs Octave Bulckaert in the cover letter foster family, written in June 2022.
Octave explains that Tinka's presence was a test of his patience. Usually his life rhythm was to come to class, go to work, play and go out, but now he has to think about Tinka's needs first, without forgetting himself. The walk before and after school, which might have seemed like a constraint the first few weeks, quickly became a strong moment between Tinka and Octave, who became a real companion in their daily life.
During the day, when Tinka walks around the school with her "in training" bib, no one is allowed to touch her, it is a time dedicated to education. Tinka is an essential member of the school.
And the departure in a few months?
Octave specifies that he knows why he is doing this, that he will take care to take news of Tinka, that the separation will be done gently, and especially that it is a beautiful dog who will come to accompany the daily life of a person in need. A beautiful proof of maturity, full of generosity.
