Good evening, Commissioners. My name is Kristie Middleton. I'm a former Animal Wellbeing Commissioner for Front Street Shelter.

I'm submitting this comment because I care deeply about the animals in our shelter and want to see more of them find homes. I believe everyone involved in this conversation shares that goal. Where I'd ask the Commission to pause is on how we get there.

The proposal before you relies on urgent, last-chance style messaging — sometimes called "sadvertising" — to drive adoptions. I understand the impulse. These animals are running out of time, and it feels like we should say so. But the research tells us this approach can backfire.

The BISSELL Pet Foundation, one of the largest shelter support organizations in the country, has published findings showing that guilt-based appeals create a negative association with the shelter itself. When every post is a countdown to euthanasia, people stop seeing the shelter as a place to find a great pet and start avoiding it altogether. That's the opposite of what we need.

What the research does support is positive, community-oriented marketing — highlighting the personalities of available animals, making the shelter feel welcoming, and normalizing adoption as a first choice. Shelters that have made this shift are seeing increased foot traffic and higher adoption rates.

Front Street is competing for the same families that online breeders are reaching with polished, feel-good marketing. We can't win that competition by leading with sadness.

I respectfully ask the Commission to direct resources toward evidence-based outreach strategies that bring new adopters through our doors, rather than approaches that risk driving them away. Thank you for your consideration.

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