Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC), Inc. is a non-profit organization serving more than 20,000 girls grades K-12 in more than 90 communities, including Indian Reservations and military installations in central and northern Arizona. The council’s newest patch program, the PetSmart Charities Paw Patch gives Girl Scouts an opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of owning and caring for a pet, as well as careers involving animals and animal advocacy. PetSmart Charities was featured in an article about the paw patch on AZBigMedia.com. The story is below:
Earlier this week, in honor of National Love Your Pet Day, Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) in collaboration with PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, introduced the newest Council patch program: the PetSmart Charities Paw Patch. This comprehensive program offers Girl Scouts in grades K-12 age-appropriate, hands-on opportunities to learn about the responsibilities of owning and caring for a pet, as well as careers involving animals and animal advocacy.
“Thanks to PetSmart Charities, girls will receive a center Paw Patch and then earn the four smaller patches, called rockers, as they complete each of the four areas of the curriculum – voices for animals, pet responsibility, pet care and pet careers,” said Cristi Pontius, GSACPC program coordinator.
To get girls started with the new program, the Council will distribute the center Paw Patch with a program guide to Girl Scouts in central and northern Arizona throughout the year. The new Paw Patch program for GSACPC is made possible through a sponsorship grant from PetSmart Charities.
Details on each program area and rocker:
• Voices for Animals–learning respect and empathy for animals through education, rescue, legislation and advocacy • Pet Responsibility–learning about basic pet necessities and requirements before getting a pet • Pet Care–learning about basic pet care • Pet Careers–learning about a variety of careers dedicated to helping animals
“As an Arizona-based nonprofit, we are committed to supporting organizations and programs that bring people and pets together,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “We are excited to partner with the Arizona Cactus-Pine Girl Scouts on the development of the PetSmart Charities Paw Patch, and we applaud the Girl Scouts for taking the initiative to build strong future community leaders, foster the unbreakable bonds with pets, and empower girls and young women to change the face of animal welfare.”
“Partnering with PetSmart Charities further supports our Council’s efforts to deliver on our mission of helping go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders empower themselves and make the world a better place as a result. We’re thrilled to offer girls a new way to discover, connect with, and take action for animals,” said Pontius.