A few months ago, the Internet was stunned when they learned that Motorworks Brewing in Bradenton, Florida started printing the faces of shelter dogs on their beer cans. It turns out, they’re not the only company printing pictures on their products to help homeless animals find their forever home. Just Pizza & Wing Co. in Amherst, New York is doing something similar, but instead of printing dogs’ faces on cans, they’re placing them on their pizza boxes and giving $50 to customers who actually adopt one!
One owner of a storefront of the pizza franchise, Mary Alloy, first got introduced to the idea when she began volunteering at the Niagara Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA). Alloy spoke with the SPCA’s event coordinator, Kimberley LaRussa, to look for ways to help more dogs get adopted, and the idea of placing photos on the boxes came up.
“Kimberly texted me one night and was like, ‘Hey, what would you think about putting pictures of the dogs on pizza boxes?’ and I just couldn’t wait,” Alloy recalled. “We are all animal lovers here, so I got permission from the franchise to do it and immediately got to work.”
After the company gave their permission, LaRussa created a sample flyer for Alloy, and she immediately fell in love with it.
“I sent her a flyer for her approval for the boxes and she said she broke down in tears,” said LaRussa. “That’s just the kind of person she is. We are so grateful to Mary and Just Pizza.”
Ever since the idea came to life on February 28, 2020, it has been a complete success. Business has been booming for the pizza company more than usual. As for the SPCA, they’ve already been having more pets adopted out. Just a day after his picture was presented on a pizza box, a six-month-old dog named Larry was adopted!
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of interest and support from the community and beyond since the story went viral on Friday,” LaRussa said. “Many people want to order a pizza just to get the shelter dog photo, other pizzerias have offered to put flyers on their pizza boxes, and so many people are tagging their friends and family.”
“I try to do whatever I can for other organizations who need help. We have donation boxes all over the store. Anything I can do to the help the community, I’m going to do it,” Alloy said.
Although the franchise may sell “just” pizza and wings, Alloy’s Amherst-based storefront is so much more than that.
View the video below for more information about the pizza company and their mission to help adoptables find families.
