By Elisa Jacobs
Photography by Justin Negard
Meet Chloe Orcutt, a five-year-old kindergartner at Thistlewaithe Learning Center in South Salem. She likes animals, giggles a lot and falls in love with the puppies her family fosters through Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
What’s your favorite color?
I have three. Blue, purple and pink.
What’s your favorite food?
I have lots.
Okay. Tell me as many as you can think of.
Chili with cheese, tacos, sausage, avocado toast, macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza… I can’t think of any more.
What’s your favorite animal?
Dogs.
Do you have a dog?
No, but puppies come to stay at my house. And when they grow up, they will help blind people.
Wow! That’s amazing. What do you like best about the puppies?
They snuggle in your lap. They take a nap and snuggle, snuggle!
What do you do while they snuggle?
I pet them lightly, very lightly.
Have you had a favorite puppy?
Yoga.
What color is Yoga?
She was yellow with a white diamond on her forehead.
Why was Yoga your favorite?
Because she was the only puppy that snuggled and sleeped in my lap. But she nipped a lot when she was awake. She has very sharp little teeth! (Giggles.)
I also like Bogey the dog.
Who is he?
I read to him at the library. It’s fun.
What makes it fun?
I don’t know.
Do you have a favorite song?
Nope.
No favorite songs?
Well, I like “Golden.” It’s from KPop Demon Hunters, but I don’t like the movie. Well, I don’t like the scary part.
If you could open your own restaurant, what would you serve?
I don’t know.
What about one of your favorite foods?
Oh, sausage! It would be a sausage restaurant.
What would you call your restaurant?
I don’t know!
If somebody gave you $100, what would you buy?
A dog. No, a puppy. (Giggles.)
If you could invent something, what would it do?
I don’t know.
What do you wish you could create?
An animal maker.
Would you make all types of animals, even ones that live in the wild?
Yeah, it doesn’t have to be a puppy.
What animal would it make the most?
Puppies—all kinds of puppies. (Giggles.)
What’s the first animal you would make?
I don’t know. (Giggles again.)
What movie do you like?
“Spirit Untamed.”
Who is your favorite character?
I have two. Spirit and Lucky.
Can you tell me about that movie?
It’s about Lucky trying to get Spirit.
What happens to Spirit?
He goes back to the wild, but in the middle, the bad guys take him.
What is something that adults really don’t understand about kids?
We need dogs! And we need puppies! (Giggles.)
Is there anything else I should know about you?
I’m watching a fish.
Where does it normally live?
At my teacher’s house. (Note: Mom says it lives in her classroom at school.)
What’s the fish’s name?
Pinkie.
Do you have any questions for me?
I don’t know! (Giggles.)
This article was published in the March/April 2026 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Elisa Jacobs
Justin is an award-winning designer and photographer. He was the owner and creative director at Future Boy Design, producing work for clients such as National Parks Service, Vintage Cinemas, The Tarrytown Music Hall, and others. His work has appeared in Bloomberg TV, South by Southwest (SXSW), Edible Magazine, Westchester Magazine, Refinery 29, the Art Directors Club, AIGA and more.
Justin is a two-time winner of the International Design Awards, American Photography and Latin America Fotografia. Vice News has called Justin Negard as “one of the best artists working today.”
He is the author of two books, On Design, which discusses principles and the business of design, and Bogotà which is a photographic journey through the Colombian capital.
Additionally, Justin has served as Creative Director at CityMouse Inc., an NYC-based design firm which provides accessible design for people with disabilities, and has been awarded by the City of New York, MIT Media Lab and South By Southwest.
He lives in Katonah with his wonderfully patient wife, son and daughter.
