Reserve your troop’s next adventure with Dallas Pets Alive and the Humane Society of Dallas County! All Girl Scout programs include a combination of educational content, hands-on activities, and exploration at the adoption container and/or shelter, and are designed to fill all badge requirements to earn the corresponding Girl Scout badge.
Donation Amount: $10 per person
No minimum number of girls needed. All three badges are available at each location, but please check our hours and days of operation before coming. No reservation needed, but highly encouraged.
For questions or date availability, email Ashley.Morgan@dallaspetsalive.org.
Choose from the options below to book a program and earn your badge!
Animal Observer Badge
Girls learn how shelter staff learn about animals by watching them.
Activities
Meet an Adoptable Animal Observation Sheet
- Observe a dog or cat for 5 minutes without interacting
- What is the animal doing?
- How is it moving?
- What emotions do you think it is feeling?
- Read to the animals and observe
- Tales to Tails
- Read to animals at the shelter
- Draw the animal
- Circle behaviors observed (sleeping, playing, sniffing, grooming, etc.)
- Discuss what those behaviors might mean
- Observe their own pet (or neighborhood wildlife) and complete an observation journal
Animal Helper Badge
Discover how animals help people and how you can help animals
Part 1: How Shelters Help Animals, and Animals Help the People Who Care for Them
- Shelter Tour
- Intake
- Foster Program
- Medical Care
- Adoptions
- Behavior Support
- Discuss how rescue organizations help animals find homes
Part 2: Become an Animal Helper
- Girls choose a service project
- Option A: Make enrichment toys
- Option B: Create adoption marketing materials (write a bio)
- Option C: Read to shelter pets at the shelter or at Tales to Tails
Part 3: Make a Different Plan
- Girls create an “Animal Helper Action Plan”
- Examples Include:
- Donation Drive
- Volunteer with parents
- Promote adoptable pets
Badge Completion Project
Each girl leaves with a personal commitment to helping animals.
Voice for Animals
Explore the relationship between humans and animals
Part 1: Domestic Animals
- Pet Population & Sheltering Discussion
- Topics:
- Why shelters exist
- Pet overpopulation
- Responsible pet ownership
- Spay/neuter
- Fostering and adoption
Could include real shelter statistics.
Part 2: Animal Welfare Issue Investigation
- Girls choose an issue:
- Puppy mills
- Community cats (stray)
- Breed discrimination
- Pet homelessness
- Barriers to veterinary care
- Animal neglect
- Housing restrictions for pets
- Cost of owning a pet
- Animal Testing
- Small groups research and discuss.
Part 3: Hear from the Experts
- Find the following and talk to them:
- Shelter staff
- Foster parent
- Volunteer
- Adopter
- Any other approved expert
- Girls ask questions about real-world challenges to people in the field.
Part 4: Use Your Voice
- Choose an advocacy activity:
- Create a social media campaign
- Write a letter to an editor
- Design an adoption awareness poster
- Create a short PSA video
- Develop a community education idea
- Educational presentation
- Community awareness display