PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Five 4-legged officers in Pembroke Pines have shiny new police badges thanks to a dedicated group of Girl Scouts.
The bond between Troop #10470 and the officers began last year, when the officers made a presentation to discuss safety.
Recommended Videos
"One of the girls asked, 'Why does your dog not have a badge?'" recalled officer Adam Feiner.
The girls were sad to learn their canine partners didn't have their own badges.
"They're officers, too, and I felt bad they didn't have their own symbol to represent it," said Girl Scout Isabel Wood.
The troop made a pledge to sell as many cookies as they could and raise money to buy badges for the police dogs.
More than 1,000 boxes later, their goal was met.
On Wednesday night at Pembroke Pines City Hall, the girls presented the badges to each of the officers and their canine partners.
"It felt really good because this is a once in a lifetime experience. It's really special for us," said Girl Scout Alexandra Vitiello.
"I really liked giving the dog a badge," said Elise Marshall, another member of the troop.
The canine badges are just like the ones their human partners wear, but instead of an officer ID number, they display the dog's name.
"It was a really heartwarming story and it was a wonderful community event to be a part of," Feiner said.