Brutus, a 30-inch Savannah monitor lizard, prepares Wednesday to eat a 2-inch Madagascan hissing cockroach at Fish Tails Pet Emporium at 28 College Ave. in Waterville. Store customers have bought the cockroaches to feed to Brutus in the name of an ex-spouse or companion. Proceeds from the offbeat Valentine’s Day observance are going to the Humane Society Waterville Area. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
WATERVILLE — A regional animal store is piloting a remarkable Valentine’s Day fundraising event: For a charge, consumers can call a cockroach after their ex-partner and feed it to the store’s resident display lizard, Brutus.
This is the very first year Fish Tails Pet Emporium at 28 College Ave. in Waterville is providing the trending service, which started Tuesday (Valentine’s Day) and is set to end Monday.
Each pest, a 2-inch Madagascan hissing cockroach, costs $6.99. All earnings will benefit the Humane Society Waterville Area, which “desperately” requires cat food, said Jennifer Alley, who co-owns Fish Tails with her partner, Gene.
Alley said the concept for the fundraising event pertained to her when she assessed how “depressing” Valentine’s Day can be for single individuals.
Gene Alley, co-owner of Fish Tails Pet Emporium at 28 College Ave. in Waterville, holds Brutus, a 30-inch Savannah display lizard, on Wednesday. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
“I just wanted to bring in a little humor to the holiday for people who don’t have someone,” she said.
The practice is not distinct to the animal store. Many stores and zoos nationwide have comparable customs playing down the vacation. For the previous 3 years at the Humane Society Waterville Area, those who have actually made a contribution might have volunteers compose the names of donors’ ex-spouse or buddy on littles paper and toss the scraps into cats’ litter boxes.
As of Wednesday early morning, Alley said Brutus had actually already consumed 21 cockroaches purchased by 19 individuals.
Gene Alley, co-owner of Fish Tails Pet Emporium at 28 College Ave. in Waterville, holds Brutus, a 30-inch Savannah monitor lizard, on Wednesday. Store customers have bought the cockroaches to feed to Brutus in the name of an ex-spouse or companion. Proceeds from the offbeat Valentine’s Day observance are going to the Humane Society Waterville Area. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
Customers have actually discovered it cathartic, Alley said. One female in her early 20s, she said, “got super into it” and purchased 3 bugs on behalf of her pals’ ex-boyfriends.
The female shouted “Yeah, take that!” as Brutus crunched into each cockroach, Alley said.
Brutus is a 30-inch Savannah display lizard. Alley said he was given up to the store a year earlier by a couple who might not care for him, and has actually ended up being something of a regional destination.
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