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Living in the hearing world when you can't is a challenge.

One Houston woman with complete hearing loss has found a unique way to make life easier.

Every day sounds that are often taken for granted are sounds Willy Moore can't hear while on the job at the UT Health Science Center.

Nineteen years ago, a viral infection left her deaf.

"It went gradually, little by little," Moore said.

Powerful hearing aids pump some into her ears, but not much.

"I was staying at a hotel and the alarm went off, and I didn't hear it," she said.

To ease her fears, she got a dog.

Bo is more than a woman's best friend.

"He is my ears," Moore said. "He is my protector, and actually he's also my companion."

When the phone rings, he let's Willy know.

A knock on the door, and Bo's up again.

"They listen to all the sounds," said Bob Cooley of International Hearing Dogs. "They're on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

The International Hearing Dogs is an organization in Denver that trains canines to work for people who are deaf. Bo was their 1,000th graduate.

"It's up to the dog to alert the person to any sound they feel the person needs to know about," Cooley said.

Whether it's at home or at work, Moore and Bo are a team.