The Wakulla 4-H Pet Pals meets monthly to learn about pets and pet care. Club meetings include craft activities and guest speakers. Members can volunteer at the local Animal Shelter as an ongoing service project.

In October, the club meeting included a lesson on how to make braided dog toys out of old t-shirts. 4-H agent Rachel Pienta led the youth in a craft session, and all the children made at least one pet toy. Participants had the choice to keep or donate the toy to the Wakulla Animal Shelter.  Many of the club members chose to donate toys for shelter animals.

4-H agent Rachel Pienta said, “There are many examples of how to make this simple toy online (instructional links are included at the end of this article).  I loved teaching this activity to club members because it offers a chance to upcycle old shirts for new use.  As a hands-on activity, it provided a chance for children to learn how to make color decisions, cut fabric, and do braiding.  The craft project also allowed us to put the four Hs into action through activity and service.”

Hands-On Learning Provides Spark for Entrepreneurship

Club president Riley Schaefer, who volunteers at the Shelter as a 4-H service activity, brought the donations to the Shelter.

Pienta described what happened next, “Riley did not stop with one donation! Along with club member Hiroshi Yoshioka, who serves as the Pet Pals Club treasurer,

she saw an opportunity to do more for the shelter animals.”

Riley explained how the project began and grew into larger effort:

We got the idea to make pet toys from our Pet Pals club.  We never thought that it would turn into anything more than a way to donate back to the animals.  While at school we made some toys and people gave us money.  So we decided to make more toys for people to buy.  We have gotten a lot of T-shirt donations from our classmates at school.  We also had donations of money from a lot of our other friends, family, and adult mentors.  We have donated some of the money to the animal shelter and have put some money back into our business so we can buy more T-shirts.  We’ve also been able to purchase cat food and give it to the shelter.

Hiroshi added, “My Goal is to help all the animals at the animal shelter. We couldn’t have done all this without our volunteers Grace and Alana. We have donated at least $40 to the animal shelter.”

The young entrepreneurs have created a business card and have plans to grow their business. After the November meeting, they asked club leader

Rachel Pienta if they could add the cat toy she taught them how to make out of old socks and crinkly stuffing materials to their business model.

Pet Pals Club and the Four H’s

The Wakulla 4-H Pet Pals Club was first offered as a virtual activity during the 2020-2021 club year. The virtual club featured guest speakers about all kinds of animals and animal related careers. Fast forward to the 2025-2026 4-H club year. Pet Pals Club has returned with an in-person club that meets monthly at the Extension office in Crawfordville.

Each club meeting begins with the 4-H Pledge:

I pledge my head to clearer thinking,

my heart to greater loyalty,

my hands to larger service, and

my health to better living,

for my club, my community, my country and my world.

The head, heart, hands, and health of the 4-H Pledge are the 4-Hs. These concepts are described more fully in the 4-H Creed:

I believe in 4-H Club work for the opportunity it will give me to become a useful citizen.

I believe in the training of my HEAD for the power it will give me to think, plan and to reason.

I believe in the training of my HEART for the nobleness it will give me to be kind, sympathetic and true.

I believe in the training of my HANDS for the ability it will give me to be helpful, skillful, and useful.

I believe in the training of my HEALTH for the strength it will give me to enjoy life, to resist disease, and to work efficiently.

I believe in my country, my state, and my community and in my responsibility for their development. In all these things

I believe and am willing to dedicate my efforts to their fulfillment.

The 4-H Pledge is part of a larger framework used to organize the delivery of experiences that support the growth and development of youth (Norman and Jordan, 2018). In the 4- H program, this framework is referred to as a “Targeting Life Skills Model” (Hendricks, 1998).

For more information about 4-H programs and activities available to Wakulla area youth, please reach out to the Wakulla Extension office located in Crawfordville at 84 Cedar Avenue or by phone at 850-926-3931.

4-H is an equal opportunity institution.

Resources and Additional Reading

4-H History

https://4-hhistorypreservation.com/History/M-C-P/

Instruction sheet from the SPCA of Nevada

https://spcanevada.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DIY-Braided-Tug-o-war-Tshirt-Dog-Toy.pdf

More Toys to Make from the North Shore Animal League

https://www.animalleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/NSALA_DIY_Pet_Toys_2.pdf

Targeting Life Skills in 4-H

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Targeting%20Life%20Skills.pdf

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