Puppies on pizza boxes

Jace Tyler of Silver Springs Pizza, left, and Jami Harrer, the outreach coordinator for the Humane Society of Marion County, spend some time with Penny, an 8-year-old beagle/basset hound belonging to the pizzeria owners and show a flier for an adoptable dog on a pizza box at Silver Springs Pizza on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.

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Posted October 7, 2024 | By Susan Smiley-Height, [email protected]

Jace Tyler said that after Jami Harrer enjoyed a meal one day at his family-owned Silver Springs Pizza restaurant in Ocala, she approached him and his brother about forming a partnership to help local canines needing to be adopted.

Jace and his brother David own the eatery, located at 5545 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Harrer is the outreach coordinator for the Humane Society of Marion County.

The Tyler brothers were born and raised in Reno, Nevada. David is a civil engineer who earned his degree from the University of Florida and works for the Florida Department of Transportation in Gainesville. Jace spent six years with the U.S. Navy in electronics/cyber security/Tomahawk cruise missiles onboard the USS Oscar Austin DDG 79, from 2008-2014.

David lived in Gainesville and Jace, who said he “discovered I had a passion for cooking,” moved from Nevada to Ocala to open the restaurant with his brother.

“When the building for Silver Springs Pizza came on the market, my brother and I decided it would be a great opportunity to invest in Ocala doing something we loved. We bought the business in 2021,” Jace said.

Now, on each out-going box of pizza, a “Rescue Me” flier is attached that shares information about a dog that is available for adoption. The eatery also hosted some Dine and Donate events.

“Jami from HSMC reached out and proposed working together after dining at our family-owned establishment one day and we decided to discuss some ideas on how we could work together to help the community, being an avid pet lover myself and the fact that we love to participate when we can in events to support our local area,” Jace noted. “With Dine and Donate, we offer 15% off for veterans, 10% for teachers and 50% off for all first responders in uniform.”

Jace said they raised $297 for the humane society during the first Dine and Donate event and that a couple of dogs have been adopted via the pizza box fliers.

“Even if the featured dog isn’t adopted, it’s bringing people into the humane society and also sparking some discussions with the younger generations when they see the pictures on the pizza boxes. Another great result is the fact we have actually had other pizza restaurants in other states reach out to us to ask us the process and ask us how they can implement the same type of program in their states,” Jace shared.

“The ‘Puppies on a Pizza Box’ campaign started as a way to highlight our long-term animals at the shelter and help find them forever homes. I was inspired by the concept of missing children on milk cartons and thought we could do something similar. I invited local business as our community is always so very generous in stepping up when needed to help the animals of Marion County. I approached Silver Springs Pizza, and the owner, Jace Tyler, immediately agreed to help with free advertising by placing our featured animals on their pizza boxes,” Harrer explained.

“Finding a sponsor to cover the printing of the ‘Rescue Me’ flyers took some time, but after a few months of asking, Chad Taylor, owner of Your Place Real Estate Team, generously stepped up. Not only did he print 1,000 flyers, but he also sponsored the adoption of each animal featured on the boxes,” Harrer shared.

And, she added, “The response has been amazing! We’ve had several rescues from across the U.S. reach out, asking how they can start their own version of the campaign. Most importantly, we’ve seen success with some of our longest-term residents. For example, Knuckles, who had been with us for 781 days, and Coco Mama, who was here for 856 days, have both been adopted.”

Jace Tyler said his team always asks for photos, reviews and shares on social media “to grow our community and engagement.”

As for whether he has a dog, he replied, “Yes, one family dog named Penny we all look after. She’s a basset hound mix herself and was a rescue, too”

So, the next time you’re hungry for a pizza and want to help some local doggies, consider a stop at Silver Springs Pizza.

In the meantime, there are many ways to help all of the animals at the HSMC.

“We’re always in need of volunteers, donations and exposure for our animals. Whether it’s sharing our posts on social media, coming out to volunteer at events or helping sponsor an adoption, any support goes a long way in helping the animals in our care,” Harrer said.

To learn more, go to FB.com/SilverSpringsPizza and thehsmc.org