The Cadette Girl Scouts, who range in age from sixth to eighth grade, earned their Animal Helper Badges, and the Senior Girl Scouts (ninth and 10th grades) received their Voice for Animals Badges.
PANAMA CITY — It was all smiles Monday at Bayview Veterinary Hospital, as local Girl Scouts watched a dog named Cody get its teeth cleaned.
The scouts weren’t just there to learn about the procedure. They were there for a higher purpose: badges.
Girl Scout Senior Abigail Leep’s favorite badge is the criminology badge, but crime wasn’t on her mind when she watched Cody undergo anesthesia before the procedure.
“I didn’t know (anesthesia) was pretty much the same as a human,” she said.
The Cadette Girl Scouts, who range in age from sixth to eighth grade, earned their Animal Helper Badges, and the Senior Girl Scouts (ninth and 10th grades) received their Voice for Animals Badges.
“It is our hope that the girls will leave with a deeper understanding of pets and the roles they play in our lives and in our world,” said April Strup, a program specialist with Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle.
Dr. Susie McKnight, hospital owner, gave the girls a tour of the facility, which included X-ray, exam rooms, boarding areas and more.
The tour was only part of the experience. McKnight sat down to speak with the scouts about the importance of spaying and neutering pets, veterinarian colleges and more. The veterinarian also expressed the importance of the human-animal bond.
“As human beings, we all have that desire to care for other creatures,” she told the scouts.
Leep, who has four dogs and five fish, realized people should invest more time into the care of their pets.
Like Leep, Channing Abernathy said she didn’t realize pets undergo the same anesthesia process as humans. After McKnight’s lesson and advice, she was familiar with the process.
“It was really interesting,” the Girl Scout Senior said. “It taught me about dogs, how procedures go, and how to care for them.”
The girls seemed to enjoy the experience, and Strupp said she is grateful McKnight hosted the scouts for the first time. She said she looks forward to working with McKnight in the future.
“We would like to thank Dr. McKnight and her staff for their willingness to share their knowledge and this experience with our girls,” Strupp said. “Dr. McKnight has been so wonderful during this whole process of helping to ensure the girls will have everything they need to complete their badge.”

We are 10 months into our transition plan after purchasing the practice last June and starting Bayview Veterinary Hospital. (formally Bay View Vet Hospital)