Animal shelter launches ‘neuter your ex’ special ahead of Valentine’s Day

Donors can pay $50 to name a cat after their ex, before the animal is neutered

A New Jersey-based animal shelter has revealed that it’s offering a “neuter your ex” special ahead of Valentine’s Day.

The Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center, based in Blackwood, New Jersey, shared a post to Instagram last week to announce its latest promotion, where people can have a cat named after their ex for the price of $50. The cat “will then be spayed or neutered before being released back to their colony as part of our trap-neuter-return (TNR) program”.

In the caption, the adoption center went on to share how meaningful the TNR program is, writing: “TNR is a vital component of feral cat population control as it breaks the breeding cycle and stops the birth of unwanted cats in our community. Your donation ensures we can offer spay/neuter surgery at a reduced cost for community cats and their caregivers in need.”

The company specified that only first names and nicknames were allowed, noting the various online ways that donations could be made to the adoption center. For example, one way that donations can be made is through the adoption center’s website.

While it’s only been a week since the promotion has launched, the director of development for Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center, Eric Schwartz, has said that people are extremely interested in it. Speaking to CBS News, Schwartz also revealed how he and his co-workers came up with the fundraising idea.

“It’s absolutely taken off,” he said. “A group of us were in a meeting talking about some fun ways to raise money over Valentine’s Day. We were discussing a petagram. A board member mentioned that an idea had come through a volunteer about ‘neuter your ex.’”

He quipped that when he and his team came up for the tagline for the fundraiser – “some things shouldn’t breed” – it “become so relatable to people”.

“Because whether they want to talk about it openly or not, I think an image or a name comes into their mind. So it’s just kind of taken off and we’re certainly appreciative of the attention that it can bring to these animals,” he said, referring to how the fundraiser can benefit the cat community.

Schwartz also told the news outlet that the adoption center has received 50 different donations with names for cats, and at least five of those names are the names of donors’ exes. He also described the importance of the donations, noting that they will keep the center’s spay program going.

“Our spay and neuter and release program allows us to get some of these stray cats off the streets,” he added. “Obviously, it’s a cycle that needs to be broken or at least limited. And to keep these strays off the street is a big help.”

The Independent has contacted the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center.