How Billboard Advertising Helped One Animal Activist “Be the Change”

April 21, 2026

There’s a well-known quote, often attributed to Mahatma Gandi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

It’s a lofty ideal. But what does it actually mean in practice?

Growing up in Louisville, Jenny Brown beat cancer at the age of ten with the help of her feline best friend – and thus was made an animal lover for life. As an adult, she channeled her compassion into work with animal advocacy non-profits in New York State.

Then, in 2020, she moved back home, where she discovered something horrifying.

An Intolerable Situation Spurs Real-Life Action

“I just see people with absolutely no regard with having their dogs chained up, 24/7,” Jenny said. “You don’t see it unless you look for it…you drive through some alleyways and these dogs are living their entire life with everything they know within a 10-foot perimeter because that’s as far as their chain will let them.”

At first, Jenny tried to help animals in ways she was accustomed to. “I’m a volunteer and foster with Louisville Metro Animal Services, the city shelter, because that’s where the greatest need is. I’ve also fostered for Kentucky Humane Society.”

“When dogs come into the shelter after living their entire lives at the end of a chain, they never leave their crate,” Jenny observed.

She had noticed that often times, the neglected dogs were chained in full visibility of neighbors who looked away. “If nobody reports it, they’re not going to come out and check on the dogs.”


Jenny realized the need to raise awareness, and she didn’t want to have to fight non-profit bureaucracy to do so. “When I had this idea, immediately I was like, I’m just going to do this myself because then it’ll actually happen.”

“I started posting on social media and I knew to write a press release, but I wanted to get actual boards up first because that’s what news stations are going to pick up on.” That’s where OUTFRONT came in.

This Louisville Billboard Campaign Drove Media Coverage

We worked with Jenny to identify the specific canvases whose locations could deliver the most impact. “I targeted some areas where [friends] see loose dogs, chained dogs, penned dogs in the backyard all the time,” she said. “I looked at the boards, I looked at the visibility numbers, I went out there and looked at them myself.”

The billboards were raw and powerful, and as Jenny intended, the media took notice, with the local FOX and NBC affiliates both interviewing her. After first paying out of her own pocket for the billboards, the publicity allowed Jenny to raise over $10,000 to keep the campaign going. “I think it’s been nine or ten now,” she said.


So what’s next for Jenny and her noble mission? Addressing root causes.

“The need is so great to encourage people to spay and neuter and to send the message that when you go to a breeder, you’re contributing to dogs dying at the city shelter.” She also intends to tackle laws that doesn’t adequately prevent animal neglect. “Kentucky is 47th in the country for animal protection,” Jenny told us (SOURCE: Animal Legal Defense Fund). “I’m going to Frankfort, Kentucky tomorrow against a bill that’s coming up.”

Jenny credits the billboards for helping her establish credibility on the issue and connect with like-minded local organizations.

“These people who are working on legislative initiatives, who are pro-animal protection, they can’t believe that we’ve never had anything like this in Louisville, that I was able to raise the funds, that I did it all myself.”

The power of IRL advertising isn’t just reserved for brands. Billboards can help ordinary people have their voices heard.

That’s why Jenny’s experience offers a blueprint for individuals wishing to make a difference in their communities. “Don’t wait for others to do the work that you want to be done,” she urged. “You cannot just expect somebody else to do it, or an organization to use their funding to do it.”

If you’d like to support Jenny’s efforts to protect Louisville dogs, you can chip in to her GoFundMe. And if you’d like to use our canvases to amplify your own voice, you can drop us a line.

Author: Jay Fenster, Senior Manager, Content Marketing @ OUTFRONT

Links to third-party content are not endorsed by OUTFRONT Media. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. OUTFRONT does not guarantee specific results or outcomes.