AJ Lee shares tribute to late dog Larry: ‘Half my heart is gone’
In an Instagram post today, AJ Lee shared a tribute to her late dog Larry.
Larry — who was adopted by Lee and her husband CM Punk more than a decade ago — passed away in December after living what Punk called a “long amazing life.” The gruff-looking dog became a cult favorite with Lee and Punk’s fans during his life as they posted pictures of Larry to social media and referenced him in their careers.
A fundraiser in honor of Larry is currently ongoing to benefit PAWS Chicago, where Larry was adopted from. Lee thanked everyone who has contributed and reflected on what Larry meant to her, sharing how he helped her get through tough moments. While half of her heart is gone following Larry’s passing, Lee encouraged everyone looking for a best friend that will make their day brighter to rescue a dog instead of buying one.
She wrote:
- Thank you all who donated to animal rescue org @pawschicago in Larry’s memory.
- Over a decade ago our Larry Talbot was surrendered there for doing the most. Multiple fosters gave up on him, one stating on record ‘I cannot allow this chaos in my home any longer’.A professional trainer called him ‘a lost cause’. He survived abuse and abandonment and was just misunderstood. We knew he was perfect for us. He snuggled on his terms, like a prickly cat. He stole entire pizzas and donuts off countertops and swallowed them whole like a snake. One time a little abuela saw him on the street, clutched her chest, and yelled ‘El Chupacabra!’ He helped get me out of the deepest depressive cycles and was the center of my happiest days. He went from discarded underdog to having his face plastered across billboards, the United Center, ASPCA campaigns, Rolling Stone, and had more action figures, merchandise, and fan art than most pro athletes. In his golden years, he grew the long beard of a wise wizard and became velcro, permanently attached to my lap. It was the greatest honor to become his emotional support after he spent so long being mine. I just know he’s now with my other furry angels Mugsy and Nacho, causing absolute f-ing mayhem.
- I am not okay, half my heart is gone. I get really quiet and private during the hard stuff but I wanted to come on here and say, if you need a best friend who will make every day brighter, who will save your life right back, please adopt don’t shop. Rescue dogs are a special kind of magic.
After retiring from WWE in 2015, Lee made her return to the company last September. She’s taking a trepidatious approach to her wrestling schedule but has worked two matches so far. A singles bout against Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch could be in her future with the two having feuded since Lee’s return.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.