Pizza place helps animals get adopted by putting their photos on pizza boxes
When the Niagara SPCA partnered with a local pizza place to promote animal adoption, they did not expect the response from the community.
The Niagara SPCA has been operating its agency since 1894 and is one of the oldest continually operating agencies on the Niagara Frontier. Their mission has always been clear.
“To prevent cruelty to all animals through public education on their humane treatment and to provide love, care, shelter and advocacy for companion animals in our community. We are committed to a no-kill philosophy, embracing the practices of rehabilitating, fostering and rehoming companion animals in need and to preventing their overpopulation through community outreach,” Niagara SPCA wrote on their website.
But, with the influx of pet shops, breeders, and the fascination of certain breeds, encouraging people to adopt shelter dogs and cats is still a challenge every day.
Animal shelters need to constantly come up with different ideas to get cats and dogs into loving homes.
For Niagara SPCA, they are constantly joining local public events for the animals to champion their cause. They also partner and collaborate with other businesses, where proceeds go to the animal shelter.
Their latest collaboration involved pizza delivery.
Kimberly LaRussa, the Niagara SPCA Events Coordinator, was brainstorming different ideas to promote the shelter and their cats and dogs. She reached out to Mary Alloy, one of their long-time volunteers, to help her brainstorm.
Well, they did more than just brainstorm. They came up with a new strategy, which would become a success.
Mary owns the Just Pizza franchise in Amherst, NY and Kimberly came up with a great plan to use the pizza boxes to promote the animals
“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,” Mary shared. “We are all animal lovers here, so I got permission from the franchise to do it and immediately got to work.”
On February 28, 2020, Just Pizza sent out their boxes with a photo of a Niagara SPCA dog taped on top.
“We are so excited to share that we have teamed up with our friends at Just Pizza & Wing Co. Amherst, NY to get our shelter dogs adopted! Be on the lookout for a sweet face on your pizza boxes this weekend!” they wrote on the post.
And it was a huge success!
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of interest and support from the community and beyond since the story went viral on Friday,” Kimberly 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. So many people are [also] tagging their friends and family.”
Then, Just Pizza announced that they decided to offer another incentive because it was such a success. They will give a $50 Just Pizza gift certificate to anyone who adopts a dog because of the pizza flyer.
What happened because of this partnership?
Just Pizza’s sales shot up at least 30% higher during that weekend. They usually go through 600 to 800 boxes every week. But that weekend alone, they sold 500 boxes.
And, a day after the pizza/shelter boxes came out, one of their dogs, Larry, was adopted! Plus, seven more dogs were adopted that week!
And they’ve also inspired other shelters and pizza places to do the same for their local cities.
The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project in Brookfield, Ohio has partnered with Papa Louie’s Italian Kitchen & Motorcross Cafe and Red Basket Farm’s Padrone’s Pizza (both located in the same city) to do the same project for their cats and dogs for adoption.
Niagara SPCA and Just Pizza Amherst NY location will continue this project until they’re all adopted. Their next step is to get their cats on the pizza boxes next.
“I just hope that maybe one day we can walk into the shelter and have all the cages cleared. That is what I hope comes out of this,” Kimberly LaRussa said.
Want to see how Niagara SPCA and Just Pizza did this collaboration? Watch the video below.
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