Adopt a Pet, Get Free Pizza for One Year

How would you like a fluffy feline, compassionate canine, or cuddly rabbit with that buffalo chicken pie you just ordered from Stoner's Pizza Joint? If you're in the market for a new pet along with a good takeout meal, the Stoner’s franchise in Fort Lauderdale might be a good way to find both.

Owner John Stetson is offering one year of free pizzas to anyone that adopts an animal advertised on the flyers he's attaching to every pizza box that goes out his door.

Each week, the restaurant prints out hundreds of flyers showcasing dogs, cats, and other pets in need of a home.

Stetson remembers going to a local animal shelter to adopt his childhood furry best friend, a Bichon mix his family named Max.

"Since the beginning of March, when COVID began to hit South Florida, we started looking for ways to help in the community," explains Stetson, who reached out to the Humane Society of Broward County to create a partnership aimed at encouraging a new wave of animal rescue. "It started with a pledge of 10,000 slices to help underprivileged students who were out of school and proliferated to first responders and many nonprofit organizations assisting during the crisis. As we reached our goal of 10,000 slices, we looked for other organizations that may have been overlooked."

Enter the hashtag #adoptdontshop, via which Stetson has pledged to bestow one large pizza each week to anyone that adopts a pet that was advertised on his flyers.

Stetson estimates that since March, delivery orders have grown by 25 to 30 percent, to the point where he's sending out about 500 pizzas each week That, he points out, makes his pizza boxes the perfect vehicle for sharing the neediest Humane Society residents. 

"Between the deliveries and social media, we believe this can reach over 1,000 people per week," Stetson says. "Our current arrangement is to run this for three months."

In order to claim a free year of pizza, Stoner's asks that anyone who adopts a pet featured on the flyer promotion contact the store directly at 954-533-4851 for instructions on how to submit paperwork certifying the adoption, along with a photo of the rescued animal with its new family.

There is no limit to the number of people who can claim a prize.

Stoner’s Pizza Joint. 1509 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-533-4851; stonerspizzajoint.com.