10/12/2026
🐾❤️ HAPPY UPDATE: SWEET LITTLE MOO MOO THE POCKET PITTIE IS HOME! ❤️🐾
Before I share the story of my rather extraordinary morning, I'm thrilled to tell you that the sweet little girl you'll read about below was reunited with her family today! 🥰 It's a long one but hopefully you'll stick it out!
Let me tell you how a simple trip to drop off the Barkuterie Shop bus turned into a morning I'll never forget because sometimes the most beautiful moments in life are the ones we never planned.
This morning, I headed downtown to drop off the Barkuterie Shop bus for the next phase of her renovations.
When I arrived, the garage doors were closed, so I headed towards the side entrance. That's when I spotted two gentlemen standing with a dog outside the neighboring business.
Naturally, I hollered over, "Hey! Does your dog want some treats?" 🐾
Their response?
"Actually, she's not our dog. We found her last night and we're trying to figure out what to do with her."
For those who may not know, 15 years ago I founded Missouri Lost & Found Paws, a nonprofit dedicated to helping reunite lost and found pets. It's one of my greatest prides and joys, and I always keep a microchip scanner aboard the Barkuterie Shop bus.
So, of course, I offered to scan her!
She was the sweetest little pocket pittie, just soaking up every ounce of affection she could get. Her color and patterns on her fur reminded me of a baby cow.
And guess what? She had a microchip! ❤️
While I called the microchip company to get her owner's information, the gentlemen continued showering her with love.
But here's where things got interesting.
As I was getting the owner's information, one of the gentlemen overheard the name and walked over to his friends.
"Guess who owns this dog?"
THEY KNEW THE OWNER! 😂
Apparently, he'd worked in their industry years ago!
Unfortunately, we couldn't reach him by phone, but the gentleman who found her offered to stop by his house tonight.
And then came the funniest moment of the morning.
He pulled up the owner's address on Google Maps, looked at the house, and announced, "Well, she DEFINITELY lives there!"
I asked how he could possibly know.
He turned his phone around...
AND THERE SHE WAS, SITTING ON THE FRONT PORCH IN THE GOOGLE MAPS PHOTO! 🤣🤣🤣
We were all laughing!
But the morning's adventures didn't end there.
I started chatting with one of the gentlemen, Bob, and discovered he's a sculptor whose incredible work can be found throughout St. Louis, including the City Museum!
Billy at B&B Kustoms, who's been helping with my bus renovations was a connection made through his wife. I had met her many years ago when she was a veterinary technician at the pet ophthalmologist at the old MVRC facility in Chesterfield.
And I found out his colleague, Bobby, was a welder for the City Museum for 40 years.
Seriously, how small is this world?!
Bob also introduced me to his beautiful shop cat, a former feral who, as he lovingly put it, "found him" two years ago ❤️.
He shared how she'd recently gone missing one evening. They searched for hours, and he eventually went home worried sick.
The next morning, another business owner in the complex called. She'd accidentally gotten locked inside their building overnight!
Thankfully, she was safe and sound, and soon reunited with her very relieved human.
And somewhere between the laughter, the stories, the animals, and all these unexpected connections, I found myself thinking about something much deeper.
I've missed this...Being out in the community. Meeting people. Hearing their stories. Finding unexpected connections. Sharing laughter. And sometimes, being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time to help someone.
This is what I love about Barkuterie Shop. Yes, I love creating fun treats and experiences for our four-legged friends, but what fills my heart just as much is connecting with the people along the way.
And mornings like today always make me think of my dad. ❤️
My dad was my best friend.
He had the most incredible heart of gold and a gift for connecting with people. He could strike up a conversation with just about anyone, and before you knew it, he'd found some common connection, shared a few laughs, or made a new friend.
And if someone needed help? He was there. That's just who he was.
The older I get, the more I realize how much of who I am today was inspired by him. And perhaps even more beautifully, how much I'm becoming like him.
Sometimes, in moments like this morning, I genuinely feel as though he's channeling a little piece of himself through me.
In the conversations with strangers who don't feel like strangers for very long. In the unexpected connections. In the laughter. In the simple act of helping someone without expecting anything in return.
And I can't help but smile because I know how much he would have loved a morning like today.
I miss my dad more than words can express. But there's something incredibly comforting about recognizing pieces of him in myself, especially in the moments that bring me the greatest joy.
And maybe that's part of what makes this new chapter with Barkuterie Shop so meaningful to me.
It's not just about building a business. It's about reconnecting with a part of myself that I've missed. It's about being out in the community, meeting people, helping where I can, sharing stories, and hopefully bringing a few smiles along the way.
And in some beautiful way, I feel like I'm bringing a little bit of my dad along for the ride. ❤️
I left home this morning thinking I was just dropping off my bus for renovations.
Instead, I came home with a full heart, a few new friendships, some wonderful stories, and a reminder of just how much the little moments in life matter.
And I think my dad would have loved every minute of it. ❤️🐾
Because at Barkuterie Shop, we believe in celebrating the moments that matter most.
