Pictured: Chelsea Aldrich with Katie McCoy and her guide dog. Provided photo.

In 2010, eight-year-old Chelsea Aldrich watched her older sister raise a puppy for her Girl Scout Gold Award. Their family, living in Houston at the time, had joined Dogs Inc.’s puppy raising club—where an adorable black Lab named Bruce entered their lives. Chelsea was instantly in love. “The day my sister got that puppy, I knew I had to raise one of my own someday. He made a huge impact on my life,” she recalls.

Bruce later became a facility therapy dog at a VA hospital in West Palm Beach. Chelsea’s purpose became even clearer after hearing a guide dog recipient named Michael speak about his dog, Britney. “He said his dog had saved his life many times. Until then, I thought puppy raising just sounded cool—but in that moment, I realized it could actually change someone’s life.”

Determined to become a guide dog instructor, Chelsea and her family moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2020—partly to be closer to Dogs Inc. They joined the local puppy raising club, where Chelsea raised three puppies of her own. “My parents say we moved to Florida so I could go to college,” Chelsea laughs, “but if you ask me, I’d say it was so I could work at Dogs Inc.”

In 2023, Chelsea began working as a Canine Keeper at Dogs Inc.’s Veterinary Center and quickly completed her training prerequisites. By July 2024, she officially started her prestigious Guide Dog Apprenticeship.

Her parents are involved as well, serving as puppy parent hosts for Dogs Inc.'s breeding program and staying active as puppy sitters in the Lakewood Ranch community.

Chelsea fondly remembers a touching moment from a training class. “A man shared that he used to always stare at his feet, never noticing the sky or the wind in the trees. But after getting his guide dog, he looked up—and for the first time in a long time, he saw the sky was blue.”

Chelsea credits Dogs Inc. for teaching her responsibility and shaping her life. “Dogs, Inc. as a whole is incredible. I love the work they do,” she says. “If you're thinking about getting a guide dog or service dog from us, I can't recommend it more.”

Pictured: Chelsea Aldrich with Katie McCoy and her guide dog. Provided photo.

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