Even the youngest scouts can help care for pets. If your girls don’t have a family pet, ask them to practice caring for pets using favorite a stuffed animal.

Talk about what responsibilities come with pet ownership. Discuss which responsibilities are age appropriate for them.

Are they old enough to feed their pet or fill their water supply?

Is grooming their pet something that is safe for them to do?

Can they help clean up after their pet and keep the pet’s environment clean and safe?

While the girls aren’t old enough to make vet appointments, do they understand that part of caring for a pet is taking care of their medical needs and following the vets recommendations?

One thing girls of all ages can do to help care for pets is to play with them.

All pets need attention and most need play time. Ask the girls to make sure to play with the family pets for at least 5 minutes each day and share their experience at the next meeting.

Was there a reason they couldn’t play with their pet for 5 minutes every day? If they couldn’t, did they encourage another family member to help?