MOOSE JAW — Love may be in the air this February, but for those looking to redirect some energy toward a good cause and have a little fun, the Moose Jaw Humane Society (MJHS) has something clever in the works with the return of its “Spay or Neuter Your Ex” campaign.
The second annual campaign kicked off on Jan. 27, and concludes shortly after the big day on Monday, Feb. 17.
“With a $50 donation, we put that into our medical fund, which will help us spay and neuter (cats and dogs) so the next unfixed animal that comes in will be named after your ex,” explained Dana Haukaas, executive director of the MJHS.
“It’s great for us (here at the shelter), and it’s meant to be light-hearted and fun, and just helps people who maybe have had a breakup to give them a little bit of joy during Valentine’s season.”
The campaign gained attention and was inspired by the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood, N.J., who launched a similar “Neuter Your Ex” promotion earlier.
“It was something that kind of popped up over social media last year,” Haukaas explained. “I think it originated out of a shelter down in the U.S., and we decided to jump on the bandwagon and see how it would go.
“It’s a little bit of an edgy campaign, but that went gangbusters last year, so we decided that we will continue to run it,” she added.
After a successful trial in 2024, the campaign is now returning after the shelter saw an outpouring of support from an intrigued community.
“We raised close to $1,000 last year, and that is a big help for us because our biggest medical expense every year is spaying and neutering,” Haukaas said.
In addition to supporting the shelter with one of its largest recurring expenses, the campaign also alleviates some of the burden of naming hundreds or even thousands of pets each year.
“Naming the pets for us is a really big task,” Haukaas shared. “If you think of coming up with 1,000 names every year, it’s a bit daunting so this is great for us.”
Each entry only includes a first name to avoid any embarrassment, but some donors have already been a little creative — and that’s perfectly okay. According to Haukaas, the most interesting entry so far has been “Darryl, with a little ‘d.’”
Aside from your ex boyfriend or girlfriend, the campaign can also apply to a boss, teacher, or friend, and the motivation can be entirely positive. At the end of the day, it’s all about supporting the shelter and having a little fun.
“We had somebody who chose to participate and… name it after their dog who had passed away,” Haukaas noted in one unique example.
After this year’s campaign, the shelter plans to publish a photo album showing all the animals who were spayed and neutered. This will be published on the MJHS Facebook page but won’t be available until all the names have been assigned to a cat or dog. Of course, the names of donors and any last names will never be included to respect everyone’s privacy.
“We’re just grateful to anybody who ever supports the shelter,” Haukaas said. “If you want to jump in on this campaign, we would be so grateful to have your support.”
You can donate online by visiting and clicking on the “Donate” tab, call the shelter with a credit card at 306-692-1517, stop by at 1755 Stadacona Street West, or make an e-transfer by emailing [email protected]. The album will be published on the shelter’s Facebook page, ‘.’
