Pet of the Week: ‘Gary the Schnocker’

By Joseph Iemma
Staff Writer

Freshman social work major, Adam Silverstein adopted Gary, Miniature-Schnauzer/ Cocker-Spaniel, in abbreviated terms a ‘Schnocker’, when he was just three months old from a charitable fundraising event his Long Island School District had hosted back in 2009. “I was 10-years-old and in the fifth grade,” Silverstein said. Gary, now eight years old, is never far from his owner’s side. The two have even decided to take on college together, according to Silverstein, since “…he is now one of my best friends ever. One of my favorite things to do with Gary is walk around the LIU Post campus!” Silverstein went on to say that his beloved best friend, Gary, has “lots of friends here,” and that he has become a canine sensation on campus. “My friends all love to see him,” said Silverstein.

According to dog.petbreeds.com, Schnockers have been rated ‘affectionate, sweet, intelligent, and rarely bark,’ earning the Schnocker breed a five out of five star review. It’s also worth noting that Schnockers are a smaller breed of dog, which yields them a life expectancy of 12-15 years; leading Silverstein to believe that this friendship still has plenty of life left in it.