From caramel chocolate chip cookies to pet microchips, Brentwood Girl Scout Troop 1255 has donated the money from cookie sales to help their community. The girls won the Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can achieve, by donating the proceeds to install two new pet microchip scanners. The scanners are located at the Brentwood Library off Concord Road and the Williamson County Animal Shelter in Franklin.
Many of the scouts are pet owners themselves and realize the importance of bringing home a lost pet. Lexie has a pug named Pugsley, Sophia has two dogs, Morgan and Cash, and Roxanne has a Yorkshire Terrier named Pigeon. They all agree on the importance of helping those who have lost their pets. They want to help pet owners reunite with their furry family members.
When brainstorming for the project, the girls began thinking about how they could help their community. The goal for the silver award is to create a project that helps the community in a sustainable way. They wanted to do something with pets and animals. Maybe help the homeless with caring for their pets? That was one preliminary idea. They thought and thought and continued to brainstorm. After seeing local missing pet posters, they decided to help pets find their way home again.
The determined group of girls set out to make it happen. They tapped into their sales skills, and with hard work and dedication, they sold as many cookies as needed. The scanners were purchased and installed. For both scanners, the troop sold about 1,800 boxes of cookies. That’s a lot of cookies!
“Cookies are delicious. Especially Girl Scout Cookies,” said Scout Lexie.
The scanners were installed in March.
To use the scanner and reunite beloved pets, take the lost animal to the Brentwood Library or the Williamson County Animal Shelter. There, you will find a scanner box with the logo “Whose Paws?” Renaissance High School held a competition to create the logo for the scanner. One of Scout Roxanne’s classmates won, and the logo was placed on each box. There is a black paw print and question mark on the front of the scanner to help locate it. Super cute, easy to find, and very helpful.
Inside the scanner box, you will find the pet scanner. Use the scanner and wave it over the animal’s shoulder blades in an S-shaped pattern. If the microchip is undetected, rotate the scanner 90 degrees and scan between the shoulder blades again. Starting at the pet’s head, scan side to side down towards the tail. The microchip can move to different spots sometimes. Make several passes over each area.
When you find the microchip, remember to check where it is enrolled on petmicrochiplookup.com. If the pet microchip is undetected, check the scanner’s battery and slowly scan down the sides of the pet’s legs, across its neck, under its chest, and behind the front legs. As a reminder, make sure to take your time.
After you have the chip number, call the vets or animal shelters from within the area that assist with these scanners and have the contact information to return the pet. Although, not just those on the list will help. It is noted that most shelters and vets will be happy to help even if not on the recommended list of places.
These girls are truly inspiring because of their dedication and hard work towards achieving their goals. They have learned responsibility and made friends and memories along the way. When asked what was next for the troop, they all eagerly replied that they wanted to strive for the gold award next. There’s no stopping these troops as they create a better place for us all through their generosity and care for their community.
Congratulations, Troop 1255, on your well-earned achievement!
Girl Scout Cookie season is right after Christmas running until the beginning of March. The girl’s favorite cookies? A tie between Tagalongs and Samoa.