A young fan of Salvage Dawgs travels to Roanoke

Roanoke, Virginia – “Salvage Dawgs” has been on the air for four years, but it still manages to attract new viewers.

Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke was visited by one of the biggest on Wednesday morning.

Michael Gerber, a 10-year-old, resides in Columbia, Missouri. In all, Gerber has seen every single episode of “Salvage Dawgs,” which spans eleven seasons. His mother, Christy Tharenos, gave him an early birthday present this week—a trip to Black Dog Salvage—because he has always wanted to go there.

“She came up and said. ‘Michael, where have you always wanted to go?’” Gerber recounted. “Black Dog Salvage. And she said, okay, that’s where we’re going.”

Mike Whiteside, co-owner, showed them around the store and the workshop where the Black Dog crew makes a lot of the unique items. His admiration for Gerber’s series expertise was evident, he claimed.

“I did it and I can’t remember it, so it was fun to get his perspective, his fresh perspective on it,” Whiteside said.

The extensive inventory left a lasting impression on Gerber.

“Surprised by how much stuff there was,” Gerber told WDBJ7. “I wasn’t expecting, like, this much.”

His mom said she wasn’t shocked that the show captivated him, even though he only found out about it a year ago.

“Michael’s a very creative child and he likes working with his hands. He sees value in putting things together and taking care of things that are historical, he likes a lot of those areas,” Tharenos said. “And he’s a bright boy, so I think he takes an interest in knowing how things work, knowing what names you call certain objects from historical periods and he sort of initiates that mostly on his own.”

While Michael did find some familiar pieces from “Salvage Dawgs,” he also discovered some new treasures that he would love to add to his collection. For his return flight to Missouri, he will abandon most of them and bring only what can be comfortably packed into a suitcase.

“I’d like them to know that I really appreciate them making the show because I really enjoy watching it, it’s my favorite show,” Gerber said.

“Just to see a ten-year-old that has a passion for the arts and for reuse,” Whiteside told us, “It’s a matter of respecting the old and then carrying it to the future. I think it’s real secure with Michael.”