The Girl Scouts have just announced the organization will begin selling a Girl Scout cookie for dogs named “Patch Pals”. The company press release stated: “…the soft-baked, blueberry muffin-flavored dog cookies celebrate the bond between people and their pups. Each dog cookie has been baked to feature one of four ‘patch’ designs, representing iconic Girl Scout experiences.”
The Girl Scouts press release did not tell the public that the first ingredient in their dog cookie (the largest portion of the dog cookie by pre-cooked weight of ingredients) is a waste food ingredient; “Dried Bakery Product“.
The legal definition of Dried Bakery Product is: “is a mixture of bread, cookies, cake, crackers, flours, and doughs which have been mechanically separated from non-edible material, artificially dried and ground.” The ‘non-edible material’ mentioned in the definition is the packaging. Note the definition has no restrictions to mold covered raw materials (imagine a loaf of bread a couple of weeks past its expiration date) or limits the amount of plastic packaging that does not get fully separated.
Dried Bakery Product is rarely used in pet foods, however it is a common livestock feed ingredient.
Here is a recent video from a company who makes the equipment that mechanically separates expired breads, cookies, cakes, crackers, flours and doughs from their packaging.
Dried Bakery Product is little more than recycled grocery garbage. It is an inexpensive feed grade ingredient.
Shameful.
We assume the decision makers at Girl Scouts USA did not investigate the ingredients in their new dog cookie, did not ask what is Dried Bakery Product? But they should have.
We sent the organization an email, if they respond it will be shared.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Consumer Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
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lynne whitaker
September 10, 2026 at 5:37 pm
Disgusting. WTF? I have refused to buy GS cookies because made with enriched flours: the lowest form of flour but in most ALL packaged baked goods in this country. First children, now dogs?
Christina Mahaffey
September 10, 2026 at 5:45 pm
So disappointing that they would make a dog treat like this….Minute I saw that first ingredient a few days ago I already wondered what the heck that was and now I know….nothing I would put in my dog.
Lorraine
September 10, 2026 at 5:47 pm
I just heard about these cookies for the first time about 3 days ago. I looked up the ingredients and saw that the Dried Bakery Product was the first ingredient listed and it also stated “for dogs only, not for human consumption” First thing I wondered when I looked up “dried Bakery Products”, if it is leftovers from commercial bakeries, which can include unsold or expired white bread, buns, cakes, pastries, cookies, crackers and sweet snacks then how do they know the exact ingredients since all the above must have different ingredients. Is it guaranteed to not include any ingredient like Xylitol that can be harmful to dogs? I believe the Girl Scouts are getting in over their heads with this.
Susan Thixton
September 10, 2026 at 5:49 pm
There is no restriction within the ingredient definition for Xylitol sweetened products. They absolutely could be included.
Jodi Cohen
September 10, 2026 at 6:12 pm
Thank you for this, Susan. I saw an article yesterday featuring the dog cookies from GS and wondered about their sourcing. Thanks to you, I have to look no further. Definitely a no sale with me!!
Carole
September 10, 2026 at 6:14 pm
Oh, barf! Girl Scout cookies have never been remotely healthy, and now they’re spreading the nasty stuff to poor dogs. This is just too much! I don’t let my dog have any dog biscuits, much less that garbage.
🐶
Scrappy Rat
September 10, 2026 at 6:24 pm
Back when I ran a small animal/exotics rescue, I would see this listed in small pet foods, especially foods for exotics or “zoo” animal foods. It was always a red flag as far as I was concerned. It’s part of what led to us making a lot of the food mixes for our fosters. So much creepy stuff in there. Also, I didn’t see any way the cardboard and paper would be separated at all in the video. Seeing this also makes me glad I don’t eat animals. That garbage what the vast majority of the meat/milk/eggs eaten in our country is made of. Gross.
Judy Deal
September 10, 2026 at 6:39 pm
I don’t buy my dogs DOG anything and I’m glad I don’t like girl scout cookies although I sold a ton when I was a kid 48 years ago