The British Columbia-based breeder is running its No regRATS campaign ahead of Valentine’s Day, promising a photo and video of one’s rat, named after a former lover – or arch-enemy – and the owl it has been fed to in exchange for at least a C$5 donation.
In February 2023, the federal environment minister, Steven Guilbeault, said the spotted owl was facing “imminent threats to its survival” and told environmental groups he would recommend an emergency order to block further destruction of its habitat in British Columbia.
The breeding program, which operates with limited funds, is seen as the last hope of returning the owls to the wild and reviving a population widely seen as a barometer for the health of old-growth ecosystems.
For the price of a coffee, spurned and disgruntled lovers can revel in the satisfaction of having a dead rat named after an ex, before it is fed to a northern spotted owl.
And for an endangered owl breeding program in Canada, it’s also a dish best served dead.
