cockroach

You can name a cockroach after an ex at the Toronto Zoo for Valentine’s Day

Looking for that perfect celebration of anti-Valentine’s Day? Cast your eye to the Toronto Zoo, which is facilitating a rather ideal opportunity for those looking to stick it to an ex, or really anyway that is, ahem, bugging you this year

For a minimum donation of $25, the Toronto Zoo will name a cockroach in their honour.

The program is a fundraiser for the Toronto Zoo Wildlife conservancy.

The donation includes a digital certificate personalized with your name and the name of your cockroach as well as a shareable digital graphic in case you wanted to slide into your ex’s DMs and have some fun as well as a full charitable tax receipt for the donation. Yes, you can slag anyone, and get a tax credit in the process.

There is also the option to send an e-card to the individual in question.

The Toronto Zoo makes it clear that although this petty gesture puts the fun in fundraiser, the organizations respect all creatures — big and small.

“Cockroaches play a very integral ecological role in their rainforest homes by helping to decompose forest litter and animal fecal matter and are, in turn, food for many other animals,” the Zoo states on the Name-a-Roach site. “Despite their hair-raising reputation, cockroaches undeniably play a vital role in the sustainability of plant and animal habitats.”

A post on the website Reddit about the cockroach adoption program took on a surprisingly (or maybe not) political bent, with many commenters wanting to name a bug after elected officials — mostly Doug Ford and his ilk.

“This is the 449th cockroach today named Stephen Lecce,” commented one person.

Article exclusive to STREETS OF TORONTO