Love stinks. Dartmouth shelter cats offer scorned lovers some payback

DARTMOUTH, N.S. — Got a crappy ex? An animal shelter in Dartmouth knows just what to do about that.

Bide Awhile has come up with an anti-Valentine’s Day fundraiser providing donors with some devious satisfaction for those feeling scorned on the love day.

For at least $5, staff will write down your ex’s name at the bottom of a litter box. They’ll fill the boxes up with litter on Feb. 14 and then the cats will do what they do best.

“In a symbolic act of moving on, we will scoop, sift and dispose of the name (and relationship) in the garbage,” reads their popular social media post.

“Warning: All sales final, even if you get back together.”

Going a different way

Sam Cole, communications and marketing co-ordinator, said this is the first time the shelter is doing something so out of the box (or in the box?) for Valentine’s Day.

“We’re trying to push the edge a little bit and get a new demographic involved in Bide Awhile, as well, get some more people interested who might not have heard of us before.”

Liesje Somers-Blonde, Bide Awhile’s executive director, said she came across the idea on TikTok from another shelter.

“You can find a lot of great ideas in the shelter world like neuter your ex, put your ex’s name in a litter pan,” said Somers-Blonde. “ There are so many ideas out there.”

They launched the fundraising campaign Tuesday afternoon.

“We had some immediate interest,” said Cole. “By Tuesday night, there over 300 shares on Facebook.”

They posted a video on TikTok and it has over 20,000 views.

“It’s gone better than we expected,” Cole said. “Right now (as of Thursday afternoon), we’ve received about 35 names and we’re sitting at a donation total of just over $400.”

A fun way to let go

A donor who didn’t want her name used said she spotted the video and was immediately interested.

“It’s a really cool and fun idea to make light of a crappy situation,” she said. “I think it’s just funny to do something like that.”

She said she offered up the name of someone she broke up with years ago. She did it more to help out Bide Awhile than to get some closure on an old relationship.

“I just think it’s kind of funny to put it on there,” she said. “For me, I’ve already let go of (the relationship) but I think for other people it could be a fun way to get closure.”

Happy to help

Usually Valentine’s Day fundraisers and events are sweet and lovey-dovey. Cole said that while they do have a usual pet photography fundraiser, they’re getting a lot of attention for going another way.

“We wanted to touch on the anti-Valentine’s Day for those who maybe aren’t feeling so great this year and really just want to do something different,” Cole said.

“I think there are people who have not only put down their ex relationships but their ex friendships, as well.

“And the cats are always, always happy to help.”