Unconventional Valentine’s Day Idea: Donate to Zoos and Name Rodents After Ex-Lovers

Valentine’s Day, traditionally a celebration of love, has taken an unexpected turn in the U.S., with zoos and animal care organizations offering a unique opportunity for people to donate money and name rodents after their ex-lovers.

According to a report from Voice of America, this unusual fundraising campaign allows people to donate a set amount to zoos, where they can assign the names of their former partners to rats and cockroaches, which will later be fed to larger animals. The idea has gone viral across the U.S., with a zoo in Minnesota launching a similar campaign where donors could name insects after their friends or enemies.

Terry Scott from Washington, who had recently gone through a divorce, shared how she wanted to ease her pain and was encouraged by others to participate in this campaign. However, for her ex-husband, the gesture wasn’t quite enough, so she found out about the *Love Hurts* campaign by the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Alaska. There, she donated $100 and named a frozen rat after her ex-husband, which was then used as food for the birds at the center. Terry, marking the first anniversary of her divorce, considered this donation a personal gift for herself.

The *Love Hurts* campaign, designed for those who are heartbroken, has become a way for people to channel their emotions and raise money for wildlife care. Executive Director of the center, Lara Etoud, mentioned that the funds raised would go towards employee salaries and the care of the birds. The center, which saved 580 birds last year, raised $18,000 in donations by the end of the campaign. On the final day alone, 130 rats were sold, and the demand was so high that they had to arrange for more rats.

For those unwilling to spend $100, there is a cheaper option: donors can pay $10 to name insects or cockroaches after their ex, which will also be fed to other animals.

While the idea may seem bizarre to some, this creative approach has proven successful, benefiting both heartbroken individuals and the animals at the zoos. For those who donate, videos of the larger birds eating the named rodents are sent as a final, humorous tribute to their past relationships.