Pets Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020690,228

Best year197438,350 earned

All-time popularity#53official, as of 2020#55by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1958. Peak year 1974 with 38,350. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1958853 earned#92 of 101

19593,071 earned#66 of 101

19607,369 earned#45 of 100

196110,189 earned#40 of 101

196211,828 earned#39 of 101

196312,754 earned#35 of 102

196414,259 earned#34 of 107

196513,626 earned#35 of 109

196613,007 earned#35 of 110

196713,564 earned#36 of 112

196814,649 earned#33 of 112

196915,483 earned#31 of 113

197015,692 earned#32 of 113

197115,416 earned#31 of 113

197215,484 earned#32 of 124

197314,575 earned#37 of 122

197438,350 earned#23 of 121

197537,036 earned#24 of 128

197632,774 earned#25 of 130

197726,647 earned#26 of 130

197821,209 earned#29 of 131

197914,859 earned#32 of 132

19809,025 earned#36 of 132

198112,792 earned#37 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19934,715 earned#68 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19967,228 earned#59 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20006,658 earned#65 of 128

20016,803 earned#58 of 129

20028,080 earned#59 of 129

20037,677 earned#61 of 130

20047,498 earned#60 of 121

20056,919 earned#62 of 121

20066,350 earned#63 of 121

20076,287 earned#61 of 121

20086,251 earned#66 of 121

20096,900 earned#74 of 122

20106,346 earned#77 of 125

20116,068 earned#72 of 129

20125,904 earned#64 of 132

20135,659 earned#56 of 129

20144,821 earned#90 of 136

20154,645 earned#90 of 138

20164,278 earned#92 of 138

20174,289 earned#92 of 139

20184,890 earned#88 of 139

20195,130 earned#88 of 139

20208,333 earned#32 of 137

2021No data available#69 of 137

2022No data available#86 of 138

2023No data available#87 of 138

2024No data available#90 of 138

2025No data available#98 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#98 of 141" means the badge was number 98 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

1958853#92 of 101

19593,071#66 of 101

19607,369#45 of 100

196110,189#40 of 101

196211,828#39 of 101

196312,754#35 of 102

196414,259#34 of 107

196513,626#35 of 109

196613,007#35 of 110

196713,564#36 of 112

196814,649#33 of 112

196915,483#31 of 113

197015,692#32 of 113

197115,416#31 of 113

197215,484#32 of 124

197314,575#37 of 122

197438,350#23 of 121

197537,036#24 of 128

197632,774#25 of 130

197726,647#26 of 130

197821,209#29 of 131

197914,859#32 of 132

19809,025#36 of 132

198112,792#37 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19934,715#68 of 123

1994—

1995—

19967,228#59 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20006,658#65 of 128

20016,803#58 of 129

20028,080#59 of 129

20037,677#61 of 130

20047,498#60 of 121

20056,919#62 of 121

20066,350#63 of 121

20076,287#61 of 121

20086,251#66 of 121

20096,900#74 of 122

20106,346#77 of 125

20116,068#72 of 129

20125,904#64 of 132

20135,659#56 of 129

20144,821#90 of 136

20154,645#90 of 138

20164,278#92 of 138

20174,289#92 of 139

20184,890#88 of 139

20195,130#88 of 139

20208,333#32 of 137

2021—#69 of 137

2022—#86 of 138

2023—#87 of 138

2024—#90 of 138

2025—#98 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Pets: workbook data

Printings (61)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
	1957	September	6		5M
x	1957	November	6		5M	1957					HCJV1
x	1958	August	6		5M	1957					HCJV1
x	1959	April	6		5M	1957					HCJV1
x	1959	November	6		7M	1957
x	1960	September	6		7M						HCJV2, HCO
x	1961	November	6		7M						HCJ
x	1962	August	6		7M						HCP
x	1963	July	6		8M						HCK
x	1964	April	6		10M						HCP
x	1965	February	6		10M						HCK
x	1966	March	6		10M
	1967	not made
x	1968	January	7A		11M						HCL
x	1969	January	7A		12M
x	1969	November	7B		14M	1969					HCL, HCM
	1970	not made
x	1971	February	7B		12M	1969					HCM
x	1972	January	7B		12M	1969					HCM
x	1973	April	8A		12M	1969
x	1973	November	8A		17M	1969					HCT	states 1974 printing
	1974	not made
x	1975	January	8		15M	1969
x	1976	November	8		8.5M	1969
	1977	not made
x	1978	February	8B		7M	1969					HC MISC T
x	1979	May	8B		6.5M
x	1980	November	9A		5M
x	1981	November	9A		5M
x	1982	November	9A		5M
x	1983	June	9A		5.5M
x	1984	September	9A		5M	1984
x	1985	September	9A		5M	1984
x	1986	July	9A		6M	1984
x	1987	May	9A		6M	1984
x	1988	January	9A		6M	1984
x	1989	June	9A		6M	1984
x	1990	April	9A		6M
x	1991	August	9A		6M
x	1992	November	9A		6M
c	1993	February	9A		6M
x	1993	December	9A		6M
	1994	not made
x	1995	January	9		5.5M
	1996	not made
x	1997	September	9
x	1998		9
x	1999		9
x	2000		9
x	2001		9
x	2002		9
x	2003		9B-1			2003
x	2004		9B-1
x	2005		9
	2006	not made
x	2007		9B-2
x	2008		10A
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C
x	2011		10C
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C			2013
x	2014		10C			2013
x	2015		10C			2013
x	2016		10C			2013
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D			2013
x	2020		10D			2013
x	2021		10D			2013
x	2022		10D			2013	35929	730176351421	655189
	2023	not made
x	2024		11A	back-1125		2024	35929	7301766624176	662417	300070052
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1958	853	92	101
1959	3,071	66	101
1960	7,369	45	100
1961	10,189	40	101
1962	11,828	39	101
1963	12,754	35	102
1964	14,259	34	107
1965	13,626	35	109
1966	13,007	35	110
1967	13,564	36	112
1968	14,649	33	112
1969	15,483	31	113
1970	15,692	32	113
1971	15,416	31	113
1972	15,484	32	124
1973	14,575	37	122
1974	38,350	23	121
1975	37,036	24	128
1976	32,774	25	130
1977	26,647	26	130
1978	21,209	29	131
1979	14,859	32	132
1980	9,025	36	132
1981	12,792	37	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	4,715	68	123
1994
1995
1996	7,228	59	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	6,658	65	128
2001	6,803	58	129
2002	8,080	59	129
2003	7,677	61	130
2004	7,498	60	121
2005	6,919	62	121
2006	6,350	63	121
2007	6,287	61	121
2008	6,251	66	121
2009	6,900	74	122
2010	6,346	77	125
2011	6,068	72	129
2012	5,904	64	132
2013	5,659	56	129
2014	4,821	90	136
2015	4,645	90	138
2016	4,278	92	138
2017	4,289	92	139
2018	4,890	88	139
2019	5,130	88	139
2020	8,333	32	137
2021		69	137
2022		86	138
2023		87	138
2024		90	138
2025		98	141