CHARLESTON – Gina Puzzuoli finds homes for things.

Fossilized dinosaur poop, an ancient tooth from a 77 – ton Megalodon, art, photographs, jewelry, ties, fabric, home décor, post cards, vintage clothing, glasses, dogs, cats, old embalming bottles have all found a home in her store Stray Dog Antiques.

Motivated by a longing for the Charleston community she saw in the 70s, Puzzuoli opened Stray Dog Antiques six years ago. She missed the energetic scuffle of folks scurrying from store to store, having a bite to eat and creating conversations – that is the stuff that makes a cool town, she said. Memories of The Diamond, Frankenbergers, Galperins Jewelers, Pecks, Arcade Books and Schwabe-May are where some of her longing takes place.

“Downtown was so wonderful – a little bit of a big city in a small town,” she said.

But with the disappearance of the small stores, so went the thrill and the style of that type of community that built relationships. Puzzuoli is bringing it back in her own charming way. There is an ongoing buzz in her store just about anytime a shopper picks up an item.

“Just the other day someone picked up an ice bucket and said, ‘My grandma kept cookies in one of these.’ And a whole grandma discussion began.”

Out of her eclectic inventory, Puzzuoli’s favorites are the rocks and fossils. If she could fill the store up with fossils and books, she would. She is also a great supporter of art. Her love for art began as a small child, in Cleveland, Ohio. She grew up extremely poor with a very sick mom. Something they could do, for free, was to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art.

“It was amazing – transcendent. Life was a little hard and unpleasant but no matter what was going on, I could focus on those things. Mummified artifacts made me want to go to the library and look up the pharaohs and Egypt. It made me think of bigger things. The world was a bigger place.”

She is still amazed especially when she recognizes true passion – she puts it in her store in celebration.

“You have to do your little part to say – Whoa! The best part is finding homes for these things. That’s what I do.”

Stray Dog Antiques is located at 219   Hale Street, in Charleston, W.Va./304-346-1534

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