AN INGENIOUS dog groomer has been donating puppy hair to birds to help them build nests.
Anne Duggan has been packing bird feeders filled with fresh puppy fur for five years to allow birds to come and collect fresh comfy bedding for their nests.
The 52-year-old came up with the idea after a bag of dog hair split outside her home and birds snatched up the majority of the fur within hours for their nests.
Anne and hubby Wayne Duggan, 51, now routinely stuff hair into bird feeders ahead of the UK’s nesting season, between February and May.
The couple from Washington, Tyne and Wear, only use fur from each dog’s first groom to avoid any harmful detergents or flea treatments making their way into a nest.
An image shows a green bird feeder stuffed to the brim with a variety of dog hair of multiple different shapes and colours.
Light and dark curls bulge out the side of the feeder making it easily accessible for birds to swoop in and snatch their new bedding.
Plumber Wayne shared the hack on Facebook last night, writing: “My wife is a dog groomer and we put puppy hair in bird feeders. Birds love them as they are building nests now in north east England.”
The post has now collected over 1,500 likes and hundreds of comments from intrigued social media users.
Lesley Duncan said: “I remember putting dog fur in the hedge for the birds back in the 70s, they absolutely loved using it.
“I think this is a wonderful idea worth sharing on any dog sites.”
Janet Butler said: “I used to do this with my Lab’s fur from brushing. Short hair so no risk of entanglement.
“If you have a long haired breed, I’d suggest you cut it into smaller lengths.
“Also, as others have mentioned, make sure the fur is free from worm and tick treatment. Very toxic to birds.”
Pam Yewell said: “Oh my. When I first looked at the picture I thought someone had crammed a calico cat in a bird feeder, I’m glad it is just fur.”
Claire Stuart said: “It looks like a little dog stuck in there. My first thought was how on earth did the dog get in there until I read the post.”
Jay Walker said: “I’ve been doing this for years, the birds really do love it.
“Now I live close to the countryside. I collect the wool left on gates and fences by sheep for the birds too. Keep up the good work folks.”
Dee Congdon said: “That’s terrific as long as there are no anti-flea or anti-worm, drop-on treatment or shampoo residues.”
Speaking today, Wayne said: “My wife is a dog groomer who works from home in a converted garage.
“About five-years ago I was putting out a big bag of dog hair, the bag split but I had no time to clean it up and went to work.
“When I came back I put the kettle on, looked out of the kitchen window and low and behold the birds must have been taking it for a few hours because there was very little left.
“Now I have been doing this for five-years. My wife and I only use puppy hair from their first groom so there are no harmful things from detergent and most pups have had no flea treatment on their first groom.”
