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Un-romantics and the broken-hearted look for unusual ways to mark Valentine's Day, and a veritable cottage industry of revenge has sprung up to heed the call.

Valentine's Day celebrates love – but there are also inventive ways to celebrate singledom. For some, that might look like a night out with friends or a "Galentines". For others, it might be using the day to get revenge on an ex – or at the very least, mending a broken heart via a little catharsis at the local zoo.

In recent years, the greater public has gobbled up events dedicated to ex-lover-induced rages. One of those events is San Antonio's Zoo's annual "Cry Me a Cockroach" fundraiser. The Texas-based tradition makes donating to the organisation a little more fun by enabling the angry or heartbroken person to name a roach, rat or veggie after their ex. It will then be fed to a hungry animal.

Cyle Perez, spokesperson for the San Antonio Zoo, says the viral event started in 2020, and has "snowballed" since then. To date, it has raised around $250,000 (£199,000) in donations from the scorned. Each year has brought in successively more money, and although Perez says the final numbers won't be in until after Valentine's Day, this year could be the most successful. Perez adds part of the event's "uniqueness" is that it's allowed the zoo to "invite people all over the world to contribute" to their mission. It's "the most fun time of year", he says.

Animal shelters have also joined the anti-Valentine's Day movement, with spay/neuter events that allow people to name an animal after their exes before the procedure. The Feline Rescue Center in Baltimore, Maryland recently posted their Neuter Your Ex event, and other shelters across the US and Canada have held similar events. 

Heartbreak isn't just used to drive donations to animals in need of a snack or a snip. For profit businesses are getting in on the game, too. The Unleashed Rage Room in LapuLapu City, Cebu, Philippines, also has a Valentine's Day promotion for angry exes who want to come in and "feel the rage". "Are you boiling over with anger at the thought of your ex or somebody who ghosted you? Probably just a stress that would [make you] want to break things?" says a recent Facebook post from the rage room. "Unleashed Rage Room is created specifically for these reasons." They're encouraging the scorned to partake in some healthy "destructive therapy." Participants can also blare the music of their choosing while smashing items.

The facility is running a special contest for the broken-hearted on Valentine's Day, inviting people to share their stories of heartache, says Stella Amor Manliguez, one of four partners who own the business. Three winners will be selected and awarded prize packages that include use of the rage room, allowing people "to release their pent up emotions like anger, frustrations or disappointments," says Amor Manliguez, adding that the rage room has had a steady stream of booking inquiries in advance of Valentine's Day.

The Euphoria Rage & Paint Room in Missouri offers its own anti-Valentine's Day special. They are inviting the heartbroken to bring in a picture of their exes and it will be taped to "Dale the Dummy", a life-size dummy that can be tossed, kicked and stomped on. According to the company, Valentine's appointments are nearly sold out.

Anti-Valentine's Day self-expression may serve an important purpose, according to those who specialise in broken hearts. "I think it brings a light-heartedness to a situation with so much pain," says New York City-based social worker Lexi Joondeph-Breidbart, who is also the founder of the Lonely Hearts Club, a break-up support group participants can join for $35 (£28) per meeting or $280 (£223) for the full eight-week session. "It really allows individuals to escape the emotional roller coaster they're on."

These activities and gatherings also offer participants a form of proof that they're not the only ones who have gone through heartbreak, adds Joondeph-Breidbart. They may also help those experiencing a broken heart process their grief. "We should not have to go through grief alone, even if it's just a few moments of laughter and poking fun at an ex," she says.

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