Fund-raiser by SPCA in Malaysia offers to ‘neuter ex-partners’ of the broken-hearted

SINGAPORE – Jilted lovers and the broken-hearted can now “neuter exes” while helping to reduce Malaysia’s stray cats and dogs population.

For a fee of RM100 (S$28.75), the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Selangor will neuter an animal and name it after the donor’s chosen ex-partner.

“Every RM100 helps us neuter one animal, preventing countless future strays,” said SPCA Selangor in a Facebook post on June 28.

Named Potong Royong, a play on the Malay word “potong”, which means to cut, and the Malay phrase “gotong royong” implying mutual cooperation, the initiative aims to reduce the stray animal population humanely through mass neutering.

SPCA Selangor said that it will share photos of the sponsored animal and keep donors updated on the status of their neutered furry friend.

“It’s a unique way to get some closure and have a good laugh while supporting a great cause,” said the animal organisation. “Let’s turn past memories into positive actions.”

In response to a comment on its Facebook post, SPCA Selangor said that it welcomes the participation of people from all over the world in the initiative.

Over RM12,000 has been raised as of June 30, three days into the fund-raising campaign.

Donors on the fund-raising website shared their resentment over exes, along with their RM100 donations.

“Potong (cut)!!!!!!” commented one donor.

“...this is for breaking up with me via my sister,” wrote another. 

Similar initiatives have been held globally, such as

in the United States and England

. They include San Antonio Zoo’s

Cry Me A Cockroach

fund-raiser in Texas, and in the same US state, El Paso Zoo’s event that allowed visitors to symbolically exterminate their exes. They offer to name cockroaches after visitors’ exes, and to feed the pests to the zoo animal residents.