New Jersey pizzeria putting flyers of missing pets on pizza boxes

MATAWAN, N.J. -- A New Jersey pizzeria is putting flyers of missing pets on pizza boxes in an effort to reunite owners with their animals.

John Sanfratello, the owner of Angelo's Pizza in Matawan, came up with the idea last week after a cat ran away from its owner during a storm.

At least five pet owners have since asked Sanfratello for his help.

Each box that goes out carries the picture of a missing pet. It started last week when the owner of a cat named Hazel came into the pizzeria wanting help distributing her missing pet posters.

"She said her cat has been missing since November which was upsetting," said John Sanfratello's 15-year-old son Anthony. "But she said she feels that if we put this on our boxes, people in Matawan order here, we're known locally, that maybe she can be reunited with her cat."

Since John blasted it on the Facebook page, it's been viewed more than 110,000 times.

"I decided, you know what, it is a good idea," John said. "Why don't we offer it to the community at large and that's what we did."

In a matter of days they got two more requests, both for missing dogs, including a puppy that was in training to be a seeing eye dog.

Matawan K-9 officer Joe Mason, a regular at Angelo's, is not surprised that the business is doing this.

"Obviously I have a service dog, I know how valuable they are in the community, whether it's in police work or the civilian world," said Mason. "I can't imagine what it would be like losing him. He's my best friend."

Hazel was eventually found but the other missing pets are still not home. Angelo's is hoping their small gesture, just to be of service, helps in finding them.

Angelo's Pizza is a family-owned business since 1974, serving the Matawan, Aberdeen, Morganville, Old Bridge and surrounding areas.