Diana Fogle, 62, of Arnold sent a picture from December 2022 of her cat, Mushroom, when he was 2 years old. The photo is special, Diana said, since Mushroom died not long after. He was the best cat ever – well behaved and never scratched on anything,” Diana said.
Karyn Stuhlman, 60, of Arnold took this picture last fall of her 5-year-old granddaughter, Lily, hugging Clyde, a 2-year-old beagle/hound mix. “My granddaughter wants a dog so bad, and she borrows my daughter’s dog whenever he is over,” Karyn said. “They are just inseparable. Clyde grew up with Lily, and they are best friends. Lily calls Clyde her brother.”
Traci Stumpf, 51, of Arnold took this picture in April of her mixed breed dog, the 6-month-old Dolly, who was adopted from The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County in Tennessee. “She loves sitting in this chair,” Traci said. “We say, ‘that is Dolly’s chair!’”
Jill Vincent, 53, of Arnold sent a picture of her cat, Kali, a tortoiseshell tabby, seen a few weeks after being adopted. “I adopted Kali on June 1, 2023, after she spent five years in a shelter/foster,” Jill said. “She was very scared but just started getting comfortable exploring when I took this picture. She is now a complete cuddle bug, and I'm so proud of her.”
Kathy and Mike Pryor of High Ridge have two rat terriers, Pearl and Ruby, seen in this June 2023 picture. “They bring a lot of joy and energy to our home,” Kathy said.
Virginia Marler, 64, of Byrnes Mill took this picture about six months ago of her 10-year-old Havanese, Ziggie, in Fenton. “I know my boy is spoiled rotten, but nothing makes me happier than taking him for a ride and getting him a mini ice cream cone,” Virginia said. “He gets so excited when we pull into the drive-thru because he knows his treat is just minutes away.” Virginia said Ziggie offers comfort while she cares for her sick husband.
Kelly Parke, 65, of Dittmer sent a picture of Magdalene Maybelline, her 1-year-old rottweiler, sunbathing last month. “She rarely sits still long enough to get a good picture,” Kelly said.
Linda Thomas, 70, of House Springs took this picture last summer of her 3-year-old goldendoodle, Gracie. “This is my Gracie, smiling because she's so happy when her friends visit and come to give her a pet,” Linda said. “She does this with the ones she loves.”
Brent Persoon, 50, of Eureka sent a picture of Babydoll, a 9-year-old Korat. “Babydoll had a rough Christmas recovering from surgery and dealing with this neck ‘doughnut,’” Brent said. “This was the morning of the day she was cleared to resume normal activities and ditch her nemesis around her neck. We joked she was dreaming of freedom from the doughnut…that, or a nice river float trip.”
Paul Mazanec, 51, of Imperial took this picture in December 2022 of his 5-year-old ferret, Gizmo. “Gizmo was always eager to take a nap and cuddle after playing!” Paul said.
Ed Pyatt, 54, of Eureka sent a picture from September of Bailey, a 9-year-old labradoodle, at Pacific Brew Haus. “Bailey goes everywhere, including all restaurants that allow puppies with us, and will sit in a chair at our table and not jump down even if we are there a few hours,” Ed said. “She is so friendly, and every person stops to say hello to her. She is well known in Eureka where we live.”
Jim Riegerix, 56, of Arnold got Cruiser, a golden retriever about 6 or 7 years old, from Dirk’s Fund Dog Rescue in Pacific. In this picture taken last month in Gulf Shores, Ala., Cruiser is enjoying the waves. “He wouldn’t get in the ocean because the waves were a little rough, so I decided to see if he would get on my stand-up paddleboard and let me push him around in the bay where the water was calm,” Jim said. “Not only did he let me, he didn’t want to get off of it. My reward for the effort was this picture-perfect golden retriever, smile ensuring I'll never forget the moment.”
Thomas Zacher, 68, took this picture of his Siamese cat, Cheyenne, when he was about 3 months old. “He was looking at himself in the mirror and seemed confused,” Thomas said.
Katie Smith, 75, of Eureka took this picture in April 2018 of her rescue dog, who died at age 14. “This is Hank and his ‘indestructible’ ball,” Katie said. “Hank will always be remembered for his unwavering optimism and playfulness.”
Michelle Chesney, 53, of Imperial sent a photo of her 1-year-old cat, Milo. “This picture is special to me because he likes to find places around the house to ‘hide’ and nap,” Michelle said.
Michelle Chesney, 53, of Imperial took this picture of Brody, a 2-year-old shepherd mix, snuggling with Mia, a 6-year-old Siamese mix. “Both of my cats love their big brother Brody so much that they are always forcing him to nap with them,” Michelle said.
Michelle Reese, 56, sent a picture taken by a neighbor of her 11-year-old Pekinese, Marigold, about a month ago. Michelle describes Merigold as “stubborn, but very lovable.”
Rich Hoefli, 68, of Arnold sent a picture from November of his 7-year-old calico tabby, Pasha. “Pasha shows her ‘cattitude’ in this photo while enjoying the sights and sounds of being out on the deck,” Rich said.
Victoria Dyer, 57, of Arnold sent a photo from 2011 of her two 5-year-old dachshunds, Dillon and Dudley, with Lexie, a 5-month-old golden retriever. “It took a few months for the dachshunds to warm up to their ‘little sister,’ so it made my heart warm when the two dachshunds actually let her up on the chair with them!” Victoria said.
Jeffrey Spraul, 60, sent a picture his wife, Jennifer Spraul, took last month of their dog, Cooper. According to Jeffrey, Cooper is “enjoying a nice afternoon in the fresh mowed grass,” in this photo.
Mary Becker, 64, of House Springs took a picture of her 6-month-old golden doodle, Winston, last fall when he fell asleep with his head in his water bowl.
Karen Vanhoogstraat, 64, of Arnold sent a picture of her 5-year-old Shiba Inu and Pomeranian mix, Arlie.
Karen Vanhoogstraat, 64, of Arnold sent a picture of her 11-year-old pug, Farah.
Mary Antonacci, 70, of House Springs took a picture of her 5-year-old schnauzer, Winston, wearing a Girl Scout beret that Mary got from her great-niece during a Girl Scout cookie sale. According to Mary, Winston is very friendly around little girls, so the hat is fitting. “Plus, he looks absolutely adorable!”
Donna Hartmann, 74, of High Ridge sent a picture from November 2015 of her then 8-week-old Shih Tzu and Coton de Tulear mix, Cooper, snuggled in her tee-shirt shortly after being adopted. “We were so in love with him from the get-go,” Donna said. “He slept on my shoulder all the way home.”
Donna Hartmann, 74, of High Ridge sent a picture from August 2022 of Rylee, a 13-year-old Shih Tzu, and Oreo, a 7-year-old tuxedo cat. “Those naysayers that think dogs and cats can’t be friends are so wrong,” Donna said. “They are very happy to be in each other’s company, and that gives me so much joy.”
Mary Becker, 64, of House Springs took a picture last spring of her 7-year-old northwest farm terrier. “Meet Oliver, the bagel thief!” Mary said. “He couldn’t resist the peanut butter – one of his favorite treats.”
Kelley DePauw, 62, of High Ridge sent a picture from April of Hamilton, her 2-year-old dog. “‘Hami’ can be very intimidating due to his size, but he is a gentle giant when it’s time to play dress-up with my granddaughter, Madi!” Kelley said.
Diane Shafer, 73, of High Ridge sent a picture from last month of Athena, her 4-year-old dog, outside the vet’s office, giving a “look of betrayal.” “We’ve had Athena since she was 9 weeks old, and she’s such a fun pup!” Diane said. “She's our little thief. Nothing is safe: eggs still in the shell, loaves of bread, uncooked squash, anything she can find! She always keeps us entertained and is a very loving pup. Life would certainly be boring without her!”
Vicki Coppin, 67, of Eureka sent a picture taken last October of Macy, her Shih Tzu and poodle mix, just before Macy’s sixth birthday. “We had just returned from a long weekend in New England,” Vicki said. “She was still pouting as she did not get to go with us. I think the expressive photo shows her feelings without any words.”
Stephanie Lenhardt, 52, of House Springs sent a picture from last month of Greta, her 2-year-old German shepherd. “Greta is the sweetest and I just love her so much! Our whole family does,” Stephanie said. “She’s such a good girl and we are so blessed!”
Catherine Shanks of De Soto sent a picture from December 2022 of her then 8-week-old pug, Gus. “My children surprised me with this puppy for Christmas,” Catherine said. “I have had him ever since, and he is the light of my life.”
Catherine Shanks of De Soto sent a picture from April last year of then 5-month-old pug, Boo. “It is one of the only photos I have of her standing still!” Catherine said. “She is the spunkiest little girl you will ever meet!”
Catherine Shanks of De Soto sent a picture from January of Chompers, her 10-year-old pit bull. “This photo is special because it shows off her silly personality!” Catherine said.
Steve Hobbs, 60, of Imperial took this picture last year while spending time with 4-year-old Maggie during the Fourth of July weekend. “My son was on a float trip and asked me to stop by and spend some time with her because she might be nervous about the fireworks in the area,” Steve said. “She was, so I brought her home with me, and she (snuggled up to me) to show her appreciation.”
Dawn Tucker, 58, of Hillsboro took this picture of then 5-month-old Lucy, a yellow lab, shortly after getting her. “We had to put our first dog to sleep in January 2018, and she loved camping,” Dawn said. “Then we got Lucy in August 2018, and this was her first camping trip. She was laying on my chest at the campfire, and she just loves camping like our first dog.”
Mark Harris, 58, of Festus took this picture in September 2016 of Angel, a then 6-year-old calico. “Angel, like most cats, can put herself into some funny places,” Mark said. “Like a child at Christmas, sometimes the box is more fun than the toy.”
Janet Smith of Eureka sent a picture that her son, Brett Rooks of Eureka, took in April of her two golden retrievers, 9-year-old Logan and 3-year-old Quinn. “Quinn takes every opportunity to snuggle with his big brother,” Janet said. “I love the way they love each other!”
Sandra Kretschmar, 58, of High Ridge took this picture of her 8-year-old Russian blue, Smokey. “Anytime I do laundry, he will circle around my feet until I put the basket down, then he jumps in,” Sandra said.
Joyce Spurgin, 83, of Pacific took this picture a few months ago of Leroy, her 2-year-old yellow tabby. “He decided to turn the bathroom sink into his cat bed,” Joyce said. “When he is in the sink, he is always on alert, looking down the hallway, just to keep tabs on everyone in the home.”
Lorraine Sartori, 73, of High Ridge sent a picture from 2014 of her Pomeranians. From left are Sparky, 2, Bailey, 6, and Barney, 6. “Barney and Bailey were twin brothers, and Sparky was their visiting cousin,” Lorraine said. “They were my three sweet boys who followed me everywhere and always posed for a picture.”
Landa Keane, 60, of Crystal City took this picture last month of Panda, an 8-year-old Shi Tzu.
Michelle Haverty, 60, of Arnold sent a picture from 2020 of Brady, an 11-year-old Australian shepherd and jack russell terrier mix, and her grandson, Nathan, then 2. “Brady is Nathan’s buddy, and Nathan likes dressing Brady up to ‘play’ with him,” Michelle said. “Brady is very tolerating.”
Ed Chambers, 53, of Festus sent a picture from last month of his 5-month-old airedale terrier, Ellie Lou, during her first trip to the vet. “She was extremely nervous about being there for a check-up,” Ed said.
Sandy Geitz, 75, of Imperial sent a picture from December of her 10-year-old labradoodle, Rosey, who is a registered therapy dog. “We go to schools for the kids to read to her,” Sandy said. “This picture was taken after we came home one day from school. She worked so hard; she was ready for a nap!”
Tracy Gebel, 55, of Hillsboro sent a picture from last spring of Shiloh, a 6-year-old French bulldog. “Shiloh’s tongue is always out, and everything sticks to it,” Tracy said. “I snapped this picture when she went to sniff a dandelion.”
Sandra Bell, 68, of Hillsboro sent a picture of Bentley, a then 7-year-old miniature pinscher mix. “Bentley was a rescue dog who loved nothing more than to be with us,” Sandra said. Though he died a few months before the 2024 eclipse, Bentley was able to catch the eclipse in this 2017 photo. “The day of the eclipse, my husband and I, along with our two children and their spouses, all took off work to watch the eclipse together. Bentley wanted to be with all of us outside. We were concerned for his eyes but didn’t want to leave him in the house, so my husband held the glasses up for him, and he sat very still for the entire eclipse, appearing to enjoy it as much as we did.”
Mark Rapp, 51, of Imperial sent a picture from last Christmas of his 7-year-old bluetick coonhound, Macie. “Macie loves Christmas and opening her presents,” Mark said. “We can’t have anything of hers wrapped and in front of the tree before Christmas because that hound nose will smell right through the wrapping if there’s a treat or a toy for her!”
Natalie Gaudet, 59, of Imperial sent a picture of her French bulldogs, Min, 2, and Rou, 1, ready for a walk in spring 2019. “Their joy shines through in this photo and brings ME joy, even five years later,” Natalie said.
Marlene Foreman of De Soto sent a picture of Hudson, her miniature schnauzer, from when he was a year old.
Rob Kiehm, 76, of Eureka sent a picture from 2008 of then 10-year-old Kiki. “She was rescued from our shed and quickly took over our homestead,” Rob said. “As you can see, she loved to dress up for special occasions, like Mardi Gras. We captioned this photo as ‘Why Me?’ While Kiki is no longer with us, this photo has always been special to us.”
Elaine Koehler, 72, of High Ridge took this picture of Cooper, her 4-year-old labrador retriever, during the season’s first big snowstorm last winter. “Cooper donned his new snowsuit and booties and wondered ‘why?’” Elaine said. “But he loves to help shovel snow.”
Elaine Koehler, 72, of High Ridge took this picture of Buoy, a 1-year-old dachshund and beagle mix, last winter while he was snuggled up under the covers.
Melanie Smith, 62, of Eureka sent a picture taken by her daughter, Sarah, in 2023 of Sarah’s now 4-year-old cat, Adora. “I love this photo of Adora because it shows the beautiful transition of color on her chest, the colors of her hair are highlighted, her head is tilted in such a sweet way, and she has beautiful green-yellow eyes under long lashes, making it look like she’s wearing mascara,” Melanie said.
Linda Ramsey, 82, of Arnold sent a picture from about 2020 or 2021 of Molly, a now 7-year-old Catahoula and cattle dog mix. “She is a very friendly, loving and extremely smart dog,” Linda said. “The reason we chose her from the Humane Society was because she immediately took to my husband, who had dementia. All other dogs would bark and growl at him. She loved him very much.”
Laura Schmidt, 62, of Festus took this picture last month of Seabiscuit, an 8-year-old beagle, while headed to Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. “My husband put up a partition in the truck to keep Biscuit and his brother in the back seat. No, it doesn't work,” Laura said. “We almost always return to the truck to discover that we have a four-legged chauffeur waiting patiently in the driver’s seat. Biscuit is a naturally curious little fellow.”
Susan Crouch, 58, of Arnold took a photo last month of 9-year-old Rambo. Rambo is deaf and was adopted from MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue in 2018. “This picture reflects a typical day in his now spoiled life as he solar charges by the pond,” Susan said.
Laura Mayer, 60, of Fenton sent a picture of Zoey, 13-year-old Australian shepherd. “She is living her life to the fullest on the first day of the boat season,” Laura said of this photo taken in April on Indian Hills Lake in Cuba, Mo. “She doesn't like to be left at home since our other Aussie passed away.”
Roxie Lane, 73, of De Soto sent a picture of 2-month-old Cooper and River playing in the pool last month in Hillsboro.
Elaine Koehler, 72, of High Ridge took this picture last month of Pippin, her 7-year-old cat. “Pippie is a real prince of a cat,” Elaine said. “So sweet and gentle and, of course, the ruler of the house!”
Marshia Eaton, 62, of Arnold sent a picture from 2018 of Stella, a 3-year-old papillon. “Papillon is French for butterfly,” Marshia said. “How this butterfly just landed and stayed on her nose was so special.”
Sheila Chesnick, 57, of High Ridge sent a picture of Magnolia, a 7-month-old miniature dachshund, enjoying snow for the first time in winter 2023.
Barb Crowder of Eureka took this picture of 4-year-old Augie, a labrador retriever, in October 2021. “One day I rounded the corner to find him posed like that on our table,” Barb said.
Karen McGillis, 66, of House Springs took this picture of Rose, a now 5-year-old basset hound, when she was a year old. “She is a comical hound who has given us a lot of love and laughter,” Karen said. “This photo captured her goofy personality.”
Sharon Walls, 66, of Imperial sent a picture from 2022 of then 6-month-old CoCo, a chocolate lab. “After exploring and running crazy like a puppy, she settled down and gave me this look – a look she continues to use to this day to gain treats and whatever else she wants,” Sharon said. “She’s special, silly and very spoiled.”
Donna Bono, 62, of Arnold sent a picture of 2-year-old Joe. “The Fred Bird stuffed animal he is holding has belonged to my granddaughter since birth, and he is my great-grandkitty,” Donna said.
Thomas Murphey, 71, of Arnold sent a picture from 2023 of Casey, a then 14-year-old terrier mix who died in April. “She was my and my wife’s companion and lived in three different states with us,” Thomas said. Casey acted like a mother for the couple’s two other dogs. “Her caring and loving nature extended to humans, too. Especially to our 4-year-old granddaughter.”
Sue Williams of Arnold took this picture last summer of Callie, 4, while supervising Callie on a trip to the backyard.
Sandra Kost, 53, of Hillsboro took this picture around June 2014 of Sunny, her 11-year-old labrador and Alaskan malamute mix. “Sunny was a rescue,” Sandra said. “I went to look at a different dog, but something drew me to this little blonde sweetheart sitting in her kennel. Sunbun and I just clicked. I found her and she found me, and the rest is history.” This photo is from about a month after Sandra took Sunny home. “She was fighting sleep, trying to not miss out on me feeding her the popcorn I was eating. The look on her face puts me at ease knowing she was finally safe and out of harm’s way. She’s a little grey around the face now, a little slower to get her snacks, but she’s still the sweetest dog I've ever known.”
Michele Taylor, 52, of Dittmer took this picture in summer 2022 of Bailey, a now 2-year-old husky and Pyrenees mix. “My daughter’s dog, Kodak, had just been put down a month or so before,” Michele said. “He was part of her life since she was little, so her boyfriend at the time brought this little pup to help ease my daughter’s broken heart. Bailey’s first outing in our yard, we found her curious about the pink lady flowers, and I got the picture. We also had found out that my daughter was pregnant with our first grandbaby, so the whole thing was simply bittersweet.”
Susan Daiber, 65, of Cedar Hill sent a picture from 2015 of Bruster, an akita and German shepherd mix that died in May 2018 at age 10. “The photo was taken in our backyard,” Susan said. “It is one of my favorites, the leaves contrast beautifully with his brindle coat.”
Mary White, 69, of Festus took a picture of her rescue cats Levi, 5, and Sally, 1. “They have become best friends,” Mary said.
Kim Morgan, 54, of Pevely sent a picture of Maisy, a Belgium Malinois, when she was less than a year old. “This photo is special to me because it is the next generation of dogs in our house,” Kim said. “Just as I have aged, so have my pets.”
Kim Morgan, 54, of Pevely sent a picture taken last month of Dakota, a cocker spaniel and golden retriever mix. “My dog is 11 years old and got diagnosed with cancer (recently),” Kim said. “She had to have surgery and remarkably made it through. We call her the ‘hospice dog’ now, and we treat her with even more gentleness and special care.”
Beverly Rich of Festus sent a picture taken at Music Row in Nashville, Tenn., in March of Jax, a 1-year-old bichon frise and shih tzu mix. “Jax is a very lively and talented member of our family,” Beverly said.
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Leader staff members experienced a cuteness overload while judging this year’s Picture Your …
