ARCHIVE: Article on the Miracle of 23 March of 2007!!

Sasha's favorite pizza at Danny's on Bushwick is the veggie combo!

Friends and supporters, let us not forget the great moments we have had in our movement for interspecies equality! Take heart and may we all march towards freedom!

MIRACLE ON BUSHWICK AVE!! WE WILL NOT FORGET!!

Sergeant Malone of the 99th precinct was discussing the recently high rates of canine runaways, unsupervised canines on the subways, and suspicious deli burglaries with animal control specialist Wayne Chu when a local news story on the TV caught his eye. "This explains everything" he thought.
Last week at the corner of Montrose and Bushwick a large slice of rotten cheese pizza was found laying on the curb just outside of Danny's Pizza. This was not unusual in itself, but as Danny Jr went outside to scatter the baying crowd of dogs gathered outside his pizza ship he was shocked and strangely inspired by what he saw.
"It is obviously a miracle. I called the priest right away, but they weren't sure what to do about it and said they would have to call me back."
It is also not unusual that the Catholic priest from St Nicholas church was not available for comment, as they were often criticized by and in disagreement with activist canine Maverick Valeri during his lifetime of heroic leadership. Equality between canines and humans was not supported by the pope, and dogs were told to pray to St Francis and put away their arrogance.
Yet there right before Danny Jr's eyes was the proud profile of Maverick's characteristically sheperd face, pointed ears, and fluffy tail spontaneously recreated in the slice of pizza. "Nobody tried to make this by biting the pizza! It's truly a miracle, it's just the way that the sauce and the cheese mix together and it's exactly like him. He used to live here you know, just around the corner. He was a proud dog, dignified, but never rude. I think Rodrigo baked that pizza yesterday."
The dogs would not be removed from the scene despite three police cars. Danny Jr attempted to convince the police to leave, to allow the dogs to celebrate their miraculous hero. Many neighbors came out to pay respects despite the statement against Maverick from the church. "Who can deny that animals have souls now? This is a true miracle and all of these dogs should be given sanctuary as messengers of the angels!!" declared Consuela Garcia, whose little daughter was playing happily with a smiling pit bull. "They will never go hungry in my neighborhood no matter what the pope says!!"
As the crowd of dogs and humans grew the streets filled, Danny's served free pizza to everyone and Jessie's Bakery brought out cakes and sodas until the neighbors set up their barbecues and began roasting chickens as a spontaneous air of peace and celebration filled the air. The dogs feasted as humans began to reflect on their new life with dogs.
"Dogs have always been there for us, and we have to make up for lost time!!" shouted neighbor Carl Maxwell over a din of howling. The police, who also had had a strained relationship with Maverick and his followers, tried to shut down the barbecue, but eventually wound up walking back to the precinct and leaving their suspiciously defiled cars to be picked up later.
The celebration, a true reconciliation between species in this still humble Brooklyn neighborhood continued through the night, until the dogs were full and sleepy and were carried to various neighborhood homes to rest. A few of the older dogs who had been inspired by Maverick to further their education held late night meetings with local neighborhood committees and animal rights groups. The result of this is the new beginnings of canine empowering infrastructure, that for now will be run by humans and later will be taken over by dogs. Volunteers are signing up to offer daily shuttle rides to the park, small attractive shelters with adequate ventilation are being built in the park and discussions are in progress to decide how long excrement can be left on sidewalks for the purpose of property declaration.
Bongo, a wisened pit bull with a scarred upbringing who recently legally emanicipated himself from his adopted owner was a great admirer of Maverick and plans to continue his work. A well respected dog who has lived on the streets and with humans, Bongo is a slower, more contemplative leader than Maverick, whose tactics were sometimes criticized as being too radical or even insane. Bongo chuckles at this accusation, " His time and cause required drastic and determined action and complete intolerance of those who worked to keep dogs out of parks and burdened by human culture. Now that he has won their attention we can work in a more cooperative method. " Bongo howls softly and remembers a time that he was walking down Cook St and saw Maverick walk up to a group of young human males and grab their pizza box, barking, "Go eat Purina, human pigs!!" "That wouldn't help us today, but we wouldn't be here without him."
"Yes! Yes!" barks China, a young but astute female lab living in the nearby artist lofts, " No one listened to us until Maverick gave a us voice among humans. But now we have long and meticulous work to do, deciding on how dogs want to be incorporated into the economic and legal systems. Many dogs disagree with the idea of currency, but humans are unlikely to give it up. This will take much thought. We will be meeting at Cooper Park on the days of trash pickup when it gets hot out for community discussion. You can bring a human, but we won't be wearing collars... AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
As life settles back into its daily routine in Bushwick the evidence of Maverick's passion and struggle can be seen in subtle changes. Street and restaurant names are being added in scented form. A slight stench rises from the streets as dogs claim areas to call their own. Police cars are still routinely found with missing tires and pawprints, but an air of peace remains. A small gathering of artifacts is left on the curb outside of Danny's Pizza; a bone, a goat leg, a small rubber toy, and carnations are left in maverick's memory. Other sitings have been noted in Manhattan and Greenpoint. Every morning Rodrigo bakes an extra cheese pizza to leave outside for the young dogs on their way to school in the morning, a recognition that Maverick never received but would take great joy in were he still here.