Victoria Pettigrew runs a business called VIP Fibers Inc. in California spinning yarn made from animal hair. Customers from all over the country send her hair from their dogs and cats, and she spins it into yarn and sends it back to them. Victoria spins yarn from a wide variety animals, including alpacas, rabbits, hamsters, cows, and horses.

According to Pettigrew, yarn spun from dog hair is known as "Chiengora" (pronounced she-an-gora). "Chien" is French for dog and "gora" is derived from angora, the soft fur of a rabbit.

But what happens when dog yarn gets wet, does it end up smelling like a wet dog? According to her website, the animal hair is first washed in shampoo, then ran through a process that removes the enzymes that cause the odor, and finally soaked in softener and conditioner. The finished yarn ends up smelling no different than wool or angora.

Victoria recommends using a brush to remove the loose hair from your pet, and save up enough to spin into yarn. Her website provides guidelines on how much hair is needed. You can have her send you back a spool of yarn, or you can have her weave it into a keepsake, such a scarf, pillow, blanket, among others. Visit her website, VIP Fibers Inc.