CM Punk, PAWS Chicago partner for fundraising campaign honoring Larry
PAWS Chicago, Piece Pizzeria and CM Punk have partnered on a fundraising campaign this month in honor of Punk and AJ Lee’s dog, Larry.
Punk revealed last month that Larry had passed away nearly 11 years after Punk and Lee had rescued him in 2015 through PAWS, a no-kill shelter located in Punk’s hometown.
For all of January, a donation of $70 will be made to PAWS Chicago for every $35 specialty pie purchased. $10 of the $70 donation will come from proceeds of the sale, while the other $60 will be via matching donations from PAWS donors Bill Jacobs, Sean & Alison Fogarty, Laura Desmond, Leonard Goodman, Kristin MacGregor, and Joe Mansueto.
The specialty pizza available was crafted by Punk in honor of Larry. A description of the pizza reads:
“CM Punk crafted the January pizza in memory of his beloved PAWS dog Larry. ‘The Larry’ is a New Haven–style thin-crust pizza topped with tangy red sauce, mozzarella, Hot Doug’s signature smoked Italian sausage, Ezzo’s Cup & Char pepperoni, and finished with grated aged Pecorino for the perfect balance of chewy, crispy, smoky, and savory. Rescued from PAWS Chicago in 2015, this pizza celebrates the joy and unconditional love Larry brought into the world, while creating second chances for dogs and cats still waiting.”
PAWS promoted the fundraising campaign on Instagram earlier this week. They shared the following story of Larry’s rescue:
“In 2014, Larry was surrendered to PAWS Chicago. He wasn’t an ‘everybody’ kind of dog, but he was the perfect dog for somebody. Phil Brooks, or CM Punk as you may know him, was that somebody.
Phil adopted Larry in 2015. He was loved to the fullest, celebrated for exactly who he was, and amassed fans from all over the world — how many rescue dogs can you say have their own action figure! He reminded us every day that adoption changes lives, for pets and their people.
‘The Larry’ is a way to honor his memory while giving other dogs and cats the same opportunity to find a loving home by sending a $70 donation to PAWS for every $35 pizza sold.
Our greatest thanks to Phil, @piecechicago , and the matching donors for making this possible ❤️ For more information, please visit pawschicago.org/piece-pizza”
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.