Dogs around the world are giving the hair off their backs to help clean up one of the worst oil spills in history. Groomers have gathered the hair trimmings from their doggie salon floors, as individuals collect the fur that their dogs are shedding, all sending it along to Matter of Trust, a San Francisco non-profit organization. This fur, along with human hair and donated nylons, is being stuffed into casings to make mats that will help contain the recent Gulf oil spill.

You and your pup can be a part of this effort, too! The warehouses which store the dog fur are currently full, but you can sign up to contribute when space opens up. The organization has an immediate need for anchor line, burlap bags, crawdad bags, nylons, zip ties, and gloves, as well as additional funding to buy these items.

Start saving your dog’s hair now (as well as human hair and nylons), so you’re ready to ship when they need more. If you can find a local groomer or hair salon that is already donating and ask to contribute to their shipment, you’ll help Matter of Trust save processing time and funds. You can find participating businesses on the Matter of Trust website. If there are no groomers in your area that already contribute, take it upon yourself to encourage them to join in the effort by providing them with information on the program.

To collect the hair, I highly recommend using the Furminator. It works wonders, and you’ll soon find that it's all you'll ever need to keep you best friend groomed. I keep a flea comb, just in case, and a finishing comb for when I want my Schipperke mix Darby to look his handsomest, but I’ll be donating the rest of my combs and brushes to a local rescue or shelter!

Image Source: Betsy Weber