How a stray puppy rescued from a trash pit became a movie star

We’ve all heard the cliched stories of an actor’s struggles before a career breakthrough: living hand to mouth, waiting tables, temping, couch surfing and generally scraping by before landing that major role.

The star of “A Dog’s Way Home,” now in theaters, has a hard-luck tale that could top them all. Before her big break, she was living in a landfill, rooting through garbage for her next meal . . .