Why are the old black-and-red digital subway signs always running ads for the same boarding kennel?

Why are the old black-and-red digital subway signs always running ads for the same boarding kennel? Does the TTC really like dogs?—Maria Lohmann, Danforth Village

The TTC is gradually upgrading its stations to the new Onestop signs, complete with flashy graphics and non-stop celebrity news, but the older black-and-red signs are still out there, in varying states of disrepair. They belong to a company called Versa Digital, whose job it is to maintain them. It’s a labour-intensive endeavour: to update the old signs and set the clocks, crews have to visit each one in person. In exchange, Versa is allowed to display its own messages on the signs. Here’s where it gets weird: it turns out that the people behind Versa also own the boarding kennel company. They’re using the advertising space on subway platforms to push their own, ahem, pet project—and that’s why Canada’s biggest transit system seems so fixated on puppies.