WEST BEND - Catherine Palm’s year-old dog may be a constant companion, but she’s not a pet.

Mattie, a papillion, is a hearing-ear service dog with a big job to do.

"Mattie works by giving me information to help me stay safe," Palm said. "Pets don't work."

Like Palm’s 11-year-old pet yellow lab, Kirby, Mattie needs feeding, walking, brushing and the usual veterinarian services.

But the dog also needs to remain on alert to protect Palm’s well-being.

Catherine Palm and her twin brother, Ian, were both born with Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome, a disorder that is hallmarked by profound deafness and a heart condition. Jolts of adrenaline can be dangerous for Catherine Palm, who can’t hear a doorbell ring or a person entering the room.

Mattie gives overt cues, using her paws to touch Catherine Palm’s leg. When the teen signs "where," Mattie leads her to the sound.

Catherine Palm is also learning to recognize more subtle signals from Mattie’s fringed, butterfly ears.

"By watching the movement of her ears, my daughter knows there is something to pay attention to," said Jean Palm. "She gets lot of information from the dog."

And while Mattie watches out for Catherine Palm, the teen does the same for her faithful service dog.

"I always worry about her being squashed under people's feet," she said.

Like any other service dog, Mattie accompanies Catherine Palm on her daily routine, including attending freshman classes at West Bend East High School.

Having the first service dog at the school provides a lesson for other students, said Assistant Principal Cassie Martin.

"It’s an excellent opportunity for them to experience diversity in an educational setting," Martin said. "Students have been very accepting of the situation. It gives them an opportunity to ask questions and find how helpful a service dog can be."

The dog, along with sign interpreters, allow Catherine Palm to be taught in the mainstream of regular classes.

Bringing the hearing dog to school coincided with the creation of a policy already being developed by the district on animals in school settings.

"It is a unique way to address the needs of an individual," said Kathy Zarling, West Bend School District administrator of pupil services. "We’re thrilled that it worked out and that it was something that we could easily accommodate."

To adopt Mattie, the Palms first obtained a doctor’s prescription for a service dog.

Jean and Catherine Palm then traveled to Xenia, Ohio to meet Mattie and train at 4 Paws For Ability.

The two-week training session was attended by 11 families, all with service dogs for children, Jean Palm said.

"About half of the dogs there were seizure dogs, the other half were for autistic children. Catherine’s was the only hearing dog," she said.

Dogs in the class ranged from golden retrievers to an Australian shepherd mix and two papillion.

"Often the bigger dogs are what most people associate with service dogs and larger dogs are needed for mobility; a lead dog for a blind person has to physically guide them," Jean Palm said.

Larger breed service dogs often retire by the age of 8, but a smaller dog can have a longer working life, she said.

For Catherine Palm, training was "exhausting and fun," but she thinks Mattie had the harder part of the bargain.

"Mattie had a lot to practice and needed to realize that I was the person she needed to alert now, not to alert her trainer any more," says Catherine Palm said.

And Mattie is adjusting to Catherine Palm’s routine and life with the Palm family.