Girls from Troop 2171 love animals, so they decided to make their furry friends a part of their work as Girl Scouts.
The students from Laurel Ridge Elementary in Fairfax have paired up with Good Dog Rescue, an Arlington-based rescue dog organization, for monthly adoption events at Wylie Wagg, an upscale dog and cat boutique in Fairfax Corner. The girls got the idea from one of their troop members last Thanksgiving and began volunteering soon after. Each of the 14 girls in the troop are earning volunteer hours for their service-based bronze awards — the highest award for junior Girl Scouts.
The girls participate by showing off the dogs and puppies to prospective adopters. They take them for walks and play with them inside the store, eagerly providing information about the animals to anyone interested. Ami Bresson, the parent leader of the troop, said the girls love the project because they all love animals so much.
"Even the girls who don't have animals at home are really enjoying it," said Bresson.
Larry Clark, co-owner of Wylie Wagg, said he loves having the girls in the store to help out. Clark and his wife and co-owner, Laura, have the event each month so they too can give back to the community.
"We enjoy doing this," said Larry Clark. "It makes all the hard work worthwhile."