Lisa Scarbrough wants your pet’s fur. And she’ll take the hair off your head, too, if you’re getting it cut.
The animal advocate and founder of Coastal Pet Rescue is spearheading a local effort to collect pet fur and human hair for use in the oil spill cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico.
Scarbrough, whose two husky-mix dogs produce plenty of excess fur, read about the fur collection earlier this week.
For 10 years, a California-based nonprofit called Matter of Trust has been collecting hair and fur. Oil clings to both, a fact that leads Americans to lather, rinse and repeat regularly. The collected fibers are woven into mats or stuffed into donated nylons to create booms.
Salons regularly mail in hair swept up from their floors, but the effort is being stepped up in response to the Gulf spill.
“Thousands of pounds of hair and nylons are coming in by UPS and Fed Ex from every state in the U.S. and from Canada, Brazil, France, and the UK,” reads a statement on Matter of Trust’s website,matteroftrust.org. “Booms are being made all along the Gulf Coast near beaches and marshes. What a community feeling!”
Scarbrough contacted Matter of Trust, which has given her the address of a Florida warehouse that will accept the donated hair and fur from the Savannah area.
Cathi Denham, owner of Catnip n Biscuits kennels and doggy day care, agreed to provide a drop-off location. Coastal Pet Rescue will also accept donations at its adoption event May 16 at Seaside Sisters on Tybee Island.
Scarbrough has already collected a grocery bag of white fur brushed from the coat of DaVinci, one of her two huskies. Hemmingway is next up.
“It takes several days to brush them out,” she said. “They’re enjoying the attention and don’t realize they’re doing it for a good cause.”
At Diva Dogs Pet Grooming on Habersham, owner Tonia Crane saved up the fur from 18 dogs groomed Thursday.
“I have half a (garbage) bag full,” she said.
Full story here.