Restaurant uses pizza boxes to help find missing pets

MATAWAN, N.J. — A New Jersey pizzeria that has been in business for 45 years has found a new way to pay it forward: putting the faces of missing pets on the top of every pizza box.

"I thought to myself, 'how can I help?'" John Sanfratello, owner of Angelo's on Broad Street in Matawan, told WPIX.

Sanfratello was on Facebook when he saw a missing cat posted that looked just like his own.

"I turned around and I see a wall of pizza boxes, and I say to myself, 'this should have been done sooner,'" he said.

Flyers taped to the top of every box show a picture, description and the pet owner's information.

On Facebook, the idea has gone viral.

"I can’t believe something so simple has really touched a lot of hearts," said Lara May.

She owns the cat that started it all. Hazel is a 3-year-old tabby cat that disappeared last week during severe thunderstorms.

Sanfratello reached out with his idea to put Hazel on every pizza box. Luckily, before May could deliver her flyers, Hazel came home on her own.

"It was a very heartwarming gesture," said May. "Because this cat is important to all of my kids."

No dogs or cats have been located thanks to the pizza box method so far, but it's still early days. They just started doing this last Thursday. They are hoping to spread the word.

"Hopefully more businesses will take part in this," said Sanfratello. "That's our intent. To reunite as many pets with their families as possible."