Pleasant Valley Kennels and our friend Andy
It's pretty exclusive. That's what Andy and I always say. It's been a few years since we began meeting for our special lunch club. Exotic meals, shared in a bustling office.
Actually, it's nothing like an office. It's the Burmeister's homey, walkout receiving room for some of the most well-loved pets in West County. You might start your lunch club appetizer course in the company of a finicky Persian cat and end with cookies amid Beagles. It's cool. They really are all family.
Welcome to Pleasant Valley Kennels on Old Dougherty Ferry in Kirkwood. Andy and his family have been running this business for years and many of their customers have literally grown up with the four Burmeister kids in St. Gerard Parish in Kirkwood. Now grown, the kids still run the family business with Andy schmoozing the public and Michelle running the operations, (Robbie and Megan help when needed, too), but their mom, Patty, has been a fixture there since the 1980's when her and Big D (Dana) Burmeister bought the business and property as a place to raise their growing family.
You may have had the pleasure of hearing Big D play in his Jimmy Buffet cover band back in the day at the St. Gerard Fall Fest. The man was a legend in his community. Friendly, jovial, kind, always laughing...he really knew how to appreciate friends and family. Everyone fell into one of those two categories for Dana, and sometimes they were all the same...especially the four-legged ones.
Andy has his dad's charm. We have been friends for years. Since I first (literally) jumped into Andy's arms when he arrived in Kirksville for a weekend visit, he has been a trusted friend and a reliable source of comic relief in our lives. We met most of our adult friends through Andy. Several of them met their spouses through Andy's large and active social network - run exclusively by pager in the early 90's. They were mostly kids from St. Gerard, Kennedy, SLU, CBC, and, well, anywhere Andy happened to show up on a given Saturday night.
Why do we love this guy so much? Well, he is totally unflappable. He is the most positive person you will ever meet. Negativity does not stick to him. He turns everything into a quick one-liner. Which is jarring at first. But then Andy's wit becomes something you really look forward to as a break from the serious, competitive and downright mean world out there. He naturally puts people at ease. He makes you feel important and valued.
The Burmeisters are just a loving bunch. They obviously love animals and take great care of them at the kennel, as evident in the long list of lifetime customers and pets that they know by name. (If you are looking for an example of "the golden rule" in action, I am pointing right here.) Michelle is always ready to chat and laugh and dote on your pets in the endless receiving line at the PVK office. Most of their employees have been with them for years and love animals just as much.
Our friends, the Burmeisters and their business, Pleasant Valley Kennels, is a perfect example of a family living their values and making our Catholic community (and community at large) stronger, more peaceful, loving and really just plain fun. Andy learned from the best how to live life each day, count your blessings and spread joy (as did his siblings). We are so blessed to call them friends.
Call the kennel if you need to house your fur babies!
Pleasant Valley Kennels
314-822-1000
Actually, it's nothing like an office. It's the Burmeister's homey, walkout receiving room for some of the most well-loved pets in West County. You might start your lunch club appetizer course in the company of a finicky Persian cat and end with cookies amid Beagles. It's cool. They really are all family.
Welcome to Pleasant Valley Kennels on Old Dougherty Ferry in Kirkwood. Andy and his family have been running this business for years and many of their customers have literally grown up with the four Burmeister kids in St. Gerard Parish in Kirkwood. Now grown, the kids still run the family business with Andy schmoozing the public and Michelle running the operations, (Robbie and Megan help when needed, too), but their mom, Patty, has been a fixture there since the 1980's when her and Big D (Dana) Burmeister bought the business and property as a place to raise their growing family.You may have had the pleasure of hearing Big D play in his Jimmy Buffet cover band back in the day at the St. Gerard Fall Fest. The man was a legend in his community. Friendly, jovial, kind, always laughing...he really knew how to appreciate friends and family. Everyone fell into one of those two categories for Dana, and sometimes they were all the same...especially the four-legged ones.
Andy has his dad's charm. We have been friends for years. Since I first (literally) jumped into Andy's arms when he arrived in Kirksville for a weekend visit, he has been a trusted friend and a reliable source of comic relief in our lives. We met most of our adult friends through Andy. Several of them met their spouses through Andy's large and active social network - run exclusively by pager in the early 90's. They were mostly kids from St. Gerard, Kennedy, SLU, CBC, and, well, anywhere Andy happened to show up on a given Saturday night.
The Burmeisters are just a loving bunch. They obviously love animals and take great care of them at the kennel, as evident in the long list of lifetime customers and pets that they know by name. (If you are looking for an example of "the golden rule" in action, I am pointing right here.) Michelle is always ready to chat and laugh and dote on your pets in the endless receiving line at the PVK office. Most of their employees have been with them for years and love animals just as much.
Our friends, the Burmeisters and their business, Pleasant Valley Kennels, is a perfect example of a family living their values and making our Catholic community (and community at large) stronger, more peaceful, loving and really just plain fun. Andy learned from the best how to live life each day, count your blessings and spread joy (as did his siblings). We are so blessed to call them friends.
Call the kennel if you need to house your fur babies!
Pleasant Valley Kennels
314-822-1000
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