Exploring St. Louis: Historic Kimmswick

A few months ago, I realized that an errand was going to land me about 10 minutes away from Kimmswick, MO, so I decided to turn it into an opportunity to visit this historic town for the first time. Kimmswick is only 1/4 square mile just south of the St. Louis...

Fostering Rescue Dogs: Karen’s Foster Dogs

A while ago I shared the story of adopting Milo and how that got me involved in fostering other dogs, so I'm not going to repeat myself explaining all of that again. If you are interested, click through on these links to read all how I got started and some of my...

Help Find Stella the Toy Poodle a Forever Home

In the last few months, I've fostered a bunch of dogs...all who have found wonderful forever homes. Except for Stella. She's been with me for about 6 weeks now and I'm still looking for a home for her. I know that isn't a terribly long time. Many rescue dogs are in...

9 Small Dogs Looking for Forever Homes

For the last few months, I've been fostering dogs with Senior Dogs 4 Seniors. My first 2 dogs, Odus (now Mesa) and Maizy were adopted. I currently am fostering Morty, an 8 year old chihuahua. After fostering with Gateway Pet Guardians in the past, I knew how much...

Odus the Foster Dog Needs a Home

After almost a year without fostering dogs, I jumped back into dog rescue with a new group, Senior Dogs 4 Seniors. I chose this group because they focus on small dogs and they don't shy away from older dogs. It breaks my heart to hear of an 8 or 12 year old dog that...

Getting Back to Cooking and Dog Rescue (plus my New Kitchen Preview)

You probably noticed (or maybe you didn't) that I haven't been writing much here at Future Expat over the last few months. The reason is pretty simple. I sold my condo and bought a new house in December. Between the move and work, I just haven't had the energy to put...

6 Green Moving Tips

I've moved a lot of times in the last 25 years but my move last month was the first time I've done a green move. Now that I'm unpacked, I'm wanted to share my 6 moving tips to make your move more environmentally friendly. 1. Plastic Crates Instead of Boxes Most people...

Milo Settles into Our New Home with #AlpoDogBiscuit

I was afforded this opportunity because I am part of the BlogPaws Professional Blogger Network. The Alpo dog biscuits were provided by Nestlé Purina. Future Expat only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. The opinions in this post are my own. Last...

Pet Gift Spending INFOGRAPHIC plus Unique Gifts for Dogs and Cats

Pet bloggers were surveyed last month by Blog Paws about their spending habits related to their pets and plans for pet holiday spending. The results clearly show that pets are at the center of holiday plans for many people.   With so many of us looking for gifts for...

Lessons from My 4000 Mile Road Trip: Meal Tips for Traveling with Dogs

Traveling with your dog can be a lot of fun, but it's important to be prepared for the challenges you will face. While locating dog friendly hotels was the first thing I focused on when I planned my 4,000 mile road trip across 9 states earlier this year, I discovered...

Milo’s Closet: Keeping Your Dog Warm in Cold Weather

I'm not one of those dog owners who dresses up my dog in clothes just to make him cute, but I do think it's important he is warm enough outside in cold weather. Milo owns 3 pieces of cold weather clothing. He has a raincoat (that doubles as a lightweight coat), a...

Lessons from My 4000 Mile Road Trip: Hotel Tips for Traveling with Dogs

Before you pack up your car for an overnight road trip with your dog, you need to carefully consider the hotel where you will stay. Will the hotel allow my dog to stay with me? Where will my dog go to the bathroom? What will I do if my dog barks at night? These are...

Why You Should Try Freeze Dried Liver Treats for Your Dog

I'm a big believer in eating real food. When I cook for myself, I cook from scratch. I use as little processed foods as possible in my ingredients. I even make some of my own pantry ingredients. You'll never find a recipe here that includes a cake mix as an...

5 Things To Do RIGHT AWAY to Find a Lost Dog

I hope you never need to search for a lost dog. If your dog does get lost, there are things you need to do right away which will increase your chances of finding your dog. I'm speaking from personal experience here. The steps I outline below helped us find my lost...

10 Ways to Use Tiny Dog Treats Besides Training

When most people think of dog training treats, they think of using the tiny treats to teach dogs commands and tricks. Initially, I used training treats to teach Milo to sit and stay. I also rewarded him with a treat every time he went potty outside. I hadn't bought...

10 Adorable Dog Halloween Costumes

  There is a video that has gone viral on Facebook of a dog wearing a spider costume. It got me thinking that maybe I should buy Milo his first Halloween costume this year. When I started looking at the options of Halloween costumes for dogs, it really is hard to...

What is the Best Flavor for Dog Training Treats?

When you go to the pet store to pick up some training treats, you are confronted with dozens of options. Picking a brand and a flavor can be overwhelming. The first thing you need to decide is which brand of dog treats you want to buy. If you are looking for training...

Road Trip with Dogs – Choosing Pet Friendly Hotels

When I decided to take a road trip with dogs a few months ago, the first thing I focused on was finding dog friendly hotels. This vacation was my first trip with dogs and we stayed in 6 hotels over the 2 week trip. I learned a lot about what worked and what didn't on...

Rescue Dog Gilbert Trained with Zuke’s Treats (GIVEAWAY)

Every dog needs training. Just like children, dogs are happiest when they know what is expected of them. While most people think of dog training as something you do with puppies, dogs can learn new commands at any age. It's especially important for dogs like Gilbert...

Dog Pool Party at the Kirkwood Pool

St. Louis really loves their dogs, so it's not surprising that so many of our municipal pools have end of summer doggie pool parties. All of the parties are pretty much the same. You pay a small fee for each dog and their person, with proceeds usually going to a...

Shopping Cart Solution for NO PAWS ON GROUND Puppies

Everyone in the rescue world is familiar with the concept no paws on ground. Puppies need 3 rounds of shots before they are fully protected from diseases that they can pick up from other dogs. Until the puppies have had at least the first 2 rounds of shots, they could...

Create a Dog Potty Garden on Your Deck

When I decided to adopt a dog, my plan was to teach my new dog to use washable pee pads in my condo's laundry room. It didn't work. I quickly learned that Milo needed a tree or plant to stand against when it was time to do his business. We would sometimes walk for a...

Rescuing Frankie from Animal Control

I recently got involved with a brand new dog rescue group in the St. Louis area, Needy Paws Rescue. While I enjoyed fostering and volunteering with Gateway Pet Guardians, Needy Paws Rescue made me an offer that allows me to do so much more. I am one of the Needy Paws...

VIDEO: Milo Really Loves The VetIQ Treats

Like most dogs, Milo loves treats. When I took Milo to the Blog Paws conference a few months ago, he got to sample a lot of treats from the Expo Center. The VetIQ team was there, and it became clear that their treats are more than just a tasty snack. So when I was...

Road Trip ~ Grand Canyon Visit with Dogs

As soon as I decided to drive from St. Louis to Las Vegas for the Blog Paws Blogging Conference, I knew I had to stop at the Grand Canyon. I did my research and found out that dogs are welcome on the Rim Trail, but can't hike down into the canyon at all. That's fine...

Road Trip ~ Sante Fe Stop Worth the Detour

My original plans were to try to share a blog post every night during this cross country road trip. Sometimes things just don't go as planned. Here we are, in the car again as I type this...on day 4 of the road trip from St. Louis to Las Vegas and back...and I'm only...

On the Road to Vegas…with Dogs!

After a crazy week of real estate work in preparation of leaving town for 2 weeks, we finally hit the road yesterday morning. My dog Milo and I are going to the Blog Paws Conference in Las Vegas next week, and my Mom and her dog Lexi decided to join us for the road...

Road Trip Planning for Blog Paws Conference

In 2 weeks, I'll be jumping in the car and starting a 3,500 mile road trip. As soon as I saw this video, I decided that I had to attend the Blog Paws pet-blogger conference. And I had to bring my dog Milo. The first dilemma was how to get there. Milo weighs 22 lbs and...

Wordless Wednesday ~ Jodi in Her Forever Home

A few weeks ago I shared the story of Jodi, one of my favorite foster dogs. Jodi’s adoptive mom saw my post and sent me some pictures and this video. I really adore this little girl and am so happy that she is so loved. People ask pet foster parents all the time how...

Wordless Wednesday ~ Milo Walks the Line

Milo is a city dog. He's used to walking along sidewalks for his potty breaks. Even when he is off leash, he is a creature of habit. Last week, we went over to Forest Park to enjoy the spring weather. Milo found the soccer line in the middle of a huge field and walked...

Wordless Wednesday – Fostering Jodi the Chihuahua

Somehow the winter got away from me and I never posted any pictures of Jodi. Jodi was one of the foster dogs I've taken care of this past year. I adored her and if I was in the market to adopt a 2nd dog, I would have kept her. Milo even liked this one. He growls at...

Wordless Wednesday – Teddy Finally Jumps on the Bed

My current foster dog, Teddy, finally decided it was ok to jump on the bed this week. Now when the end of the day rolls around, I turn off all of the lights and Teddy races up the stairs to the bedroom behind Milo. When I catch up with them, this is what I find. He...

Wordless Wednesday – Don’t Blame the Dogs

I should know better than to leave the house with mail sitting on a chair. Milo loves tearing up paper. It was junk mail, so I didn't really mind. Paint, on the other hand, is not as easy to clean up. Again, this was my fault. I knew my foster dog Teddy had a habit of...

Wordless Wednesday – Foster Dogs Have Changed My Life

I started fostering rescued dogs with Gateway Pet Guardians last April. They have changed my life as much as I've changed their lives. In order of when they came into my life... Jojo and Sylvie Named after my wonderful grandparents Joe & Sylvia Jojo was adopted by a...

Wordless Wednesday – Saving Dogs Living on the Streets

Everyone who reads this blog regularly or is connected to me on Facebook, Google+, Twitter or Pinterest knows that I volunteer with Gateway Pet Guardians. I recently started helping with community outreach. Teams of us gather on Saturdays and Sundays and make the 15...

Wordless Wednesdays – Milo Goes to the Vet

Milo patiently waiting for our vet to come give him a lepto shot. Clearly also overdue for a haircut. Milo communicates by looking at the thing he wants, holding his gaze there for a few seconds, then he makes eye contact with me and gives me a prolonged look. If I...

The Perfect Dog Owner’s Towel: Shandali UltraSport Travel Towel

When I recently discovered an opportunity with Tomoson to receive a free Shandali towel in exchange for writing a blog post about it, I jumped at the chance. I'm going to be doing more sponsored posts here on Future Expat, but I plan to be very selective on what I...

Wordless Wednesdays – Life with Dogs

I know this is called Wordless Wednesdays, but since this is my first one, I wanted to share why I'm starting this new weekly series (gulp...I'm really bad at doing anything over and over and over). When I first adopted Milo, I posted tons of pictures on Facebook. So...

Community Outreach & Puppy Rescues in Impoverished East St. Louis

Last week, I shared about my first experience with the Gateway Pet Guardians community outreach team. I thought nothing could be as rewarding as fostering dogs with Gateway, but I was wrong. Driving down streets lined with burnt-out and abandoned homes, scanning the...

Dog Rescue Outreach – Knocking on Doors in East St. Louis

Since I started volunteering for Gateway Pet Guardians last April, I've fostered 7 dogs, transported dogs to adoption events, helped a puppy sell raffle tickets at a fundraiser and got up before dawn to feed the strays of East St. Louis. Yesterday, I added community...

Saving a Cat’s Life Just Took an Hour of My Time

My regular readers will know that I'm a foster parent for Gateway Pet Guardian's rescued dogs. Since I signed up in April, I've had 6 foster dogs in my home. I can only foster one dog at a time, so I'm always on the lookout for other ways I can help. I have attended...

Thanksgiving is about Being Thankful and Giving

When most of us think about Thanksgiving, we think of turkey and overeating and spending time with family. Others get excited about spending the day watching football or Black Friday shopping deals. But if we stop and take a moment to reflect, Thanksgiving is about...

Daily Deals for Your Dog and Cat

Owning a dog or cat can get expensive. If you love your pets the way I love my dog Milo, I'm constantly buying new toys and treats. Now that I also foster dogs for Gateway Pet Guardians, I go through food and stain remover faster than ever too. I just discovered a...

Help Me Find a Forever Home for My Foster Dog Romper

My regular readers will know that I volunteer as a foster parent for homeless dogs rescued from East St. Louis by Gateway Pet Guardians. A couple of weeks ago, I took over fostering adorable Romper from another volunteer. Romper has been with Gateway for awhile. He...

Letting Benji Go

A week ago, after one month of living with me, my foster dog Benji was adopted. Benji is an adorable loving dog. As always, it's a guess as to his breed. But I think he is a Jack Russell Terrier and Rat Terrier combo with a little wire hair terrier mixed in. Benji was...

32 Puppies Looking for St. Louis Homes!

Update 10/25/13: All of the baby puppies listed here have now been adopted, but there are still 4 older pups at the end of the list that need homes. Adopting a puppy that is 5-8 months old, as these puppies are, has some real advantages. You can get a feel for the...

Strut Your Mutt – Dog Festival Helps Save Strays

Strut Your Mutt - St. Louis Event: Photo Credit: Jesse Michael Nix  WHAT: A leisurely fundraising dog walk followed by a doggie-themed festival that includes pet contests, photos, treats for your dogs, fun activities, refreshments and more. WHERE:  Tilles Park, 9551...

4 Rescued Dogs Desperately Need Foster Parents

Becoming a foster parent for a rescued pet is one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences you can have. Living in a home helps former strays learn how to be pets. They get a chance to lay on soft surfaces (whether it be your couch or a dog bed on the floor). They...

Saving Charlotte ~ Gateway Pet Guardians to the Rescue

Charlotte's Story: There are so many dogs worth saving that would be put down immediately if they ended up at animal control. At Gateway Pet Guardians, we just rescued one of those dogs. As I've shared before, PJ Hightower has been driving the streets of poverty...

My Dog Milo Went Kayaking and Rafting

Every summer, I try to go on at least one float trip. I adopted my dog Milo last December, so this was his first time joining me on the river. The first float of the summer was rained out. We were planning on kayaking on Friday and rafting on Saturday, but the river...

Take Your Dog on a Missouri Raft Float Trip

Life jackets for dogs One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go floating with friends. Now that I have a dog, I want to take him with me when I go floating. You can float with a dog in a canoe anywhere. But, it is hard to find a river outfitter that will...

Adopt a Rescue Dog: Bryce Needs a Home

Bryce, a lab mix puppy looking for a forever home Last weekend, I attended an adoption event at Purina Farms and met a wonderful puppy named Bryce. Keep in mind that this event was massive. There were tons of people walking by constantly, and hundreds of dogs of all...

Fostering Padme for Gateway Pet Guardians

Before I even had my foster puppies Jojo and Sylvie adopted, I knew that I would foster again. I had a few out of town trips scheduled after they left, so I decided to wait to foster another dog until all of the trips were over...which would mean not fostering again...

Feeding Stray Dogs in East St. Louis

Last month, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to go with PJ of Gateway Pet Guardians on her daily trek to feed the strays and neglected dogs of East St. Louis. We left PJ's Lafayette Square home at 5:30 AM and headed to Washington Park, a neighboring town to...

Stray Dogs Do Have Parents

Most people who adopt rescued stray dogs have no idea why they look the way they do. The people adopting my foster puppies are lucky. They get to see several generations (at least on the female side). PJ with Gateway Pet Guardians has been feeding the strays of East...

Karen’s First Foster Pups – Jojo and Sylvie

As soon as I adopted my dog Milo, I knew I wanted to get involved with a rescue group so I could foster dogs in my home. After checking around, I signed up with Gateway Pet Guardians and was approved as a foster parent. A few weeks later, I brought home 2 baby...

Adopt a Rescue Dog: Bill Needs a Home

  On Saturday, I had the chance to spend some time with Bill, one of Gateway Pet Guardians rescue dogs who is looking for a forever home. While most of the dogs that Gateway Pet Guardians rescues come directly from the streets of East St. Louis, we also work with St....

Adopt a Rescue Dog: Astrid Needs a Home

This pretty girl is Astrid. She is very sweet, enjoys cuddling and has beautiful eyes that can make you melt. Astrid is a 3 year old Shepherd/Terrier mix who is spayed, housetrained, current on her shots and microchipped. She really likes kids and is good with them,...

Adopt a Rescue Dog: Salem Needs a Home

This beautiful girl with the adorable face is Salem. She's a sweet, goofy love bug who has a gorgeous smile and eyes that just make you melt. Salem is a Terrier mix who is about 1 year 9 months old. She's spayed, current on her shots and microchipped. This sweetie is...

My Road to Becoming a Rescue Dog Foster Parent

Yesterday I found out that I was approved to become a rescue dog foster parent. I'm really excited and can't wait to bring home my first foster rescue dog. So why am I doing this? Humor me a moment and let me start from the beginning. Adopting a Rescue Dog Changed My...

How to Find Out the Breed of Your Dog

For many people who adopt a shelter or rescue dog, knowing the breed of the dog just isn't important. We love our dogs regardless of what breed they are. But that doesn't mean we don't wonder, spending hours looking at pictures of dogs online trying to figure it out....

Does Your Dog Need to be Vaccinated for Lepto?

When I adopted Milo from a rescue group a couple of months ago, I was told that he was up to date on all vaccinations. Little did I know that he hadn't been vaccinated for a Lepto, potentially serious disease. The rescue group provided me with a record of all of...

What Dogs Can Teach Us about Living

Photo Credit: Oscar Rincon A lot of junk floats around on Facebook. But there are some gems too. This story was posted by Divine Essence of Life. Thank you Jennifer Bernstein for sharing it so I could see it. WHY DOGS LIVE LESS THAN HUMAN ? ANSWER OF A 6 YEAR OLD ...

Milo Takes a Bath

Milo had a bath the day before I adopted him (December 28) and again about a week later when I took him to a groomer. After about 6 weeks, he definitely had that doggy smell and I knew it was time for a bath. Today was a snow day and we were hanging at home, so I...

Upcycle Ideas for your Dog

As a new pet owner, I've suddenly become aware of all of the great ways to reuse old items to create things for your pet. Pinterest offers some great inspiration. Here are 3 ways to make your pet happy without spending much money. Pick up an old thrift store sweater...

The Joys of Adopting a Rescue Dog

Milo staring at me, totally confused with why I had walked him up to the tree and then stood there, waiting.  I recently told you that I was looking for a rescue dog to adopt. Meet Milo: After meeting a half dozen dogs who were sweet, it was love at first sight when I...

Adopt a Pet: Darcy and Lola Need a New Home

I've decided to adopt a dog. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it and am finally settled into my new home and ready to pull the trigger. I need a small dog since I live in a townhouse and don't have yard. I don't want a yapper or one that sheds, so I'm looking...