Labradoodle Lucy trotted into Beaufort Dog with inches of unkempt, matted fur on her petite chocolate frame.

Ninety minutes later, a soaking wet Lucy emerged from a tub furiously shaking off water, shaved and groomed for a short trip back to her owner.

Her fur awaits a much longer trip.

The bag with Lucy's fur will travel almost 1,000 miles to the Louisiana coast as part of an effort to soak up remains from last month's devastating oil spill.

"When she came in here, Lucy was this wide," said groomer Kelly Schneider, dramatically holding her hands apart. "They come in here with just so much hair on them."

Giving hair, both animal and human, is one way local businesses are pitching in to help the Gulf Coast areas affected by the spill. Hair quickly soaks up oil and can be reused once the oil is wrung out.

"If we weren't doing this with the hair, we'd just be throwing it all way," Beaufort Dog owner Kelley Blackston said. "It's a natural way to give back to those who are in need on the Gulf Coast."

Blackston takes her fur to Lime Lite Salon, a hair salon leading the donation efforts for Beaufort. Lime Lite has called every salon and dog groomer in Beaufort asking for hair, said owner David Watson. He's seen a big response.

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