Dog Hair & the Gulf Oil Spill

Here’s a great way for dog owners and their dog hair to give back and assist in the clean up of the Gulf oil spill. Who’d a thought, right? Thanks to the Los Angeles Times for this article.

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Gulf Oil Spill: Hair of Dogs to Tackle Oil

Nearly 1,000 grooming salons in Petco stores began shipping donations of pet fur Friday to aid in creating booms to soak up oil from the Gulf of Mexico.

The company said it expects to ship up to a ton of donated fur daily. Already, 450,000 pounds have been shipped to the gulf area, where Coast Guard officials say they have not yet used the material.

Petco joins a growing cohort of salons, pet groomers and farmers shipping hair to the Gulf of Mexico. They are all part of a network created by Matter of Trust, a nonprofit environmental group. The group first garnered attention when it helped with the 2007 San Francisco oil spill.

It’s hard to say who first thought of using hair to sop up an oil spill, but Matter of Trust attributes it to hairdresser Phil McCrory, who first experimented with hair and oil after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. The story is laid out in a YouTube video.

Richard Ambrose, a UCLA professor of environmental health science, said he’s never heard of hair being used to clean up oil.

“As long as it’s cost effective and it works well, then it seems great,” he said.

Petco hopes to reach 5 tons of donations through Mother’s Day weekend.

–Nicole Santa Cruz

Photo: Brenda Mendez grooms a poodle in her Racine, Wis., shop on Tuesday. She is donating pet hair to an ecological charity that intends to use it to help sop up the oil spill. Credit: Scott Anderson/Associated Press

You Know You’re Addicted To Your Dog When…

I loved this post from the FIDO blog! I think most of us are a little addicted to our dogs…Lord knows I am! I’m definitely guilty of #3- “You sign Fido’s name along with yours on all birthday and holiday cards”

Written by: Carol Bryant for Fido

They love us no matter what we look like in the morning. They hear our deepest most intimate conversations and tell no one. The tail wags when our day has been less than stellar. And we, as their human guardians, companions, caretakers, and parents love them for being simply stated, our best friends.

You Know You’re Addicted to Your Dog When…..

1 You reach into your coat pocket and doggie snack remnants fall out in addition to your keys, some loose change, and tissues.

2 You wake up in a crouched yoga-like position so Fido could have the comfy spot on the bed.

3 You sign Fido’s name along with yours on all birthday and holiday cards.

4 You ask a hotel if dogs are allowed before booking a vacation.

5 Your haircuts cost less than your dog’s.

6 You’ve got more pictures strewn about the house of Fido than you do of the human variety.

7 You smooch the dog at the end of the day and pat your significant other on the head.

8 You find yourself out in the pouring rain at 4 a.m. if Fido needs to really “go potty.”

9 Fido has a better healthcare plan and a lower deductible on his/her rider than you do.

10 When your pooch barks, you know what the different tones of bark actually “mean.”

Feel free to add to this list! I would add that you know you’re addicted to your dog when:

• They have a much more updated wardrobe than you do.
• Your dogs get stockings at Christmas
• It’s weird when you don’t have dog hair on your clothing
• The first thing you think about in designing your home is whether it’s “dog-friendly”
• You won’t let anyone watch your dogs except for trusted family members/friends… (because kennels are for real dogs and my dogs don’t know they’re actually dogs!)
• You’d rather skip the movie theater so that you can enjoy a flick at home while engaging in some serious dog cuddling.
• Dog kisses are completely acceptable…even if your dog has an affinity for occasional poop eating (hey…we brush their teeth!)
• You purchase a vehicle based on whether it will have room for the dogs to sit comfortably in their own seats.