Aliyah Puppy Brigade

A smiling man holds a yellow lab puppy as a woman in a pink shirt stands beside them on a balcony with a cityscape in the background.
Meet Paige and Petra, the first recruits of the new Aliyah Puppy Brigade.

Born in Florida and donated to IGDC by Southeastern Guide Dogs, Paige and Petra are being puppy-raised by two American families – one in New York City and the other in Richmond, Virginia.

Being the first brave pups in the new Brigade, these two are on a mission over the next year to learn basic obedience and lots and lots of socialization. Working with their human families, Paige and Petra will explore their respective environments. Crowded city streets, parks and country roads. Buses, trains, cars and airplanes. Elevators, stairs, escalators. Day and night. Summer and winter. All in preparation for their Aliyah trip to Beit Oved and six months of their “professional” training to become guide dogs for their visually impaired and blind partners in Israel.

Follow our Progress! Watch as we grow and learn.

Two yellow Labrador puppies sit side by side behind a black metal crate door, both with their tongues out and looking forward. The background is slightly blurred.Two smiling adults stand on a balcony with city buildings behind them. The man in blue holds a yellow lab puppy, while the woman in pink stands beside him, both enjoying the moment together.Three people stand on a rooftop with a puppy in front of a city skyline on a sunny day. The woman in the center holds the dog. Tall skyscrapers, including One World Trade Center, are visible in the background.A yellow Labrador puppy wearing a blue vest sits on a wooden floor in front of a brick wall, looking directly at the camera. Sunlight creates shadows on the floor.