HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A Henrico pizza shop is attaching photos of shelter dogs on their pizza boxes in hopes of finding them forever homes.
Fox’s Pizza Den on Brook Road has partnered with the Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) to help pair harder to place dogs with a family.
When you order a pie, a flier for a dog in need of adoption is glued to the top of a pizza box.
“We see about 500 people a week,” franchise owner Ronnie Burnett explained. “Anytime RACC has an animal that’s having a problem getting adopted we want to help and get it on our boxes.”
Burnett said their inspiration came when a manager read a story about an Amherst, New York, pizza shop performing a similar good deed.
Currently, one of three RACC dogs will be featured: Wild Turkey, Bertha and Olympia.
The dogs, for one reason or another, have sat in the shelter for months without a potential family.
“They’re the ones that get overlooked when people come here to the shelter,” RACC Outreach Coordinator Robin Young said. “The more attention we can get for our animals out in the community the better.”
Burnett said they’ve already received good feedback since the fliers went out on Wednesday. Both RACC and Fox’s Pizza Den hope to expand the program and include both cats and dogs.
“If we can get other restaurants to do the same thing it can be huge,” Burnett stated. “Normally, you get a pizza box and you’d get some coupons. Now you’re getting a couple coupons and an opportunity to get your next love.”
The featured dogs, and other animals up for adoption, are housed at the city shelter on Chamberlayne Avenue.
RACC took in more than 3,000 animals last year. The shelter has open hours every day except Monday and Tuesday.
