WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) - From hanging out with movie stars in Hollywood to eating DiCarlo’s Pizza in Wheeling, Sam Schildkraut’s dog, “Gangsta,” has experienced quite the life since being found outside a “dumpy hotel” in San Bernadino, Calif.
Since then, the Upper Ohio Valley native has taken his dog across North America, from the desert to Canada and New York City’s Coney Island.
“I was about two months away from getting my first dog, which would have been a miniature dachshund,” Schildkraut said. “I wound up in a dumpy hotel in San Bernadino. I woke up at 3 a.m., so I went out to drive and find a place to eat. When I started backing up, this puppy was running all about.”
Schildkraut said he couldn’t identify an owner for the dog, so he adopted him, giving him the name, “Gangsta.”
“I found that I took him everywhere and called him my son and started taking photos of him like on rides for kids and adults,” Schildkraut said.
Since he found Gangsta, Schildkraut said the two have been inseparable. The pooch has been photographed with numerous celebrities, including his favorite actor, James Remar.
“I’m now working on a book. It’s just interesting how it all happened,” Schildkraut added.
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