Articles published in this Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor. Nothing may be copied unless the Editor grants permission. 

Dates & News:

ZimDog News, can be accessed from: www.vanerp.net.

Zimbabwe Kennel Club:

The Zimbabwe Kennel Club office will now only be open on a Friday each week, 14.00-16.00 CAT.

Local Shows and Fairs

All sponsored by PEDIGREE and proceeds to help the S P C A in the wonderful work they do for all animals

E-mail News:

How lovely to get a long E-mail from Christine and her family, she is always so good to send it to me and was not allowed to print it in the newsletter. She writes that she is very concerned about our situation, but again if she would look at countries to the north, then Zimbabwe is still good and so lovely to live here with the wonderful weather. This view is always depending on each person and way of living. Christine writes: “The friends who remain still seem to cope and I admire you all.” She also was able to go to Crufts this past year and no doubt met up with a lot of friends. Cheryl, ex Zim, came to visit her as well. Monica is doing well in her musical career and already travelling to Belgium with an orchestra. Paul is at Southampton University doing the same Electronic degree as my Son Peter did, at the same University quite some years ago.

Some more doggy news from Christine: “In March we were devastated by the loss of Cameo at almost 12 and a half. She was a faithful friend who always gave her family total devotion and great joy with her noisy enthusiasm for life. Breeze, who had never lived as an only dog, was very depressed and in October Judy came to live with us.  She is 3 and a half and an ex racing greyhound.”

Christmas 2006

All hugely enjoyed the fantastic end of year Christmas party organized by the stalwarts of Kennel Club. Some scenes taken on the day that Ted was leaving. He is looking at them all, with sad thoughts no doubt, but also happy to go and live with his daughter and family.

Odour Remover

Most cleaners and sprays simply mask the smell and can be damaging to carpets or furniture. After a few days or weeks the odour simply returns and the vicious circle commences costing you a small fortune in the process of trying to eliminate it. Well luckily for you, you've just invested in the simple answer! My recipe is actually an organic compound that is 100% safe for humans and animals. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, non-corrosive, non-flammable and non-staining. It is effective for a very broad range of organic odours including Human, dog and cat urine. It can also be used to treat urine odours left by other such pets as rabbits, ferrets, rats and mice even exotic pets such as reptiles and snakes! Even those people who have a pet elephants will be impressed by this secret formula, but a BIG batch would be required to treat the latter! Pet urine in carpets and other porous surfaces is a significant problem primarily because it usually goes undetected for a long time and the animal can keep soiling the same area. The urine itself has very little odour but once it starts to decay it becomes a problem. The first stage of decay produces amines (ammonia), which are unpleasant but the second stage of decay produces mercaptans, which are the real problem. (Mercaptans are what make skunk spray smell so bad.) With a carpet this almost always means the urine has soaked through the carpet and the pad and into the floor.

In spite of product and carpet cleaner claims, the odour cannot be eliminated by spraying or cleaning, because neither will go down as deep as the urine, you need to get down to the root of the problem to solve it! Also you may only have a small patch on the carpet but under that, it may of spread up to 12 times as wide as its seeped through the underlay etc!

The recipe works by breaking down the bacteria within the urine, thus killing it and therefore permanently eliminates, not masks, odours on contact irrespective of what has been tried before. As you would with any product, before you use it. Please test the solution on a hidden part of the carpet or area that is to be treated. Then wait for 24hrs to see if there’s any adverse reaction before proceeding to do a full treatment. I will not be held responsible to any damage caused by the use of this recipe. You use it at your own risk! It is safe to use on: Any water safe surface including carpeting, rugs, fabrics, upholstery, curtains, drapes, tile, wood, mattresses, car interiors, clothing, boats, nylon, cotton, acrylic, plastic, vinyl, rayon, olefin, polyester, leather, trash containers, concrete, etc. But please… Remember to test it first on a hidden area just in case for colourfastness! It’s always better to be safe rather than sorry!!

Ingredients required: Small batch - For use around the house.
16 fl.oz (480ml) Hydrogen Peroxide Solution. (Available from all good Chemists and Supermarkets). 2 tsp. of Bicarbonate of Soda. 1 squirt of household washing up liquid (as you would use for doing a standard bowl of washing up)!

Large Batch (1 gallon) – For use outdoors on patios etc.
128 fl.oz (3800ml) Hydrogen Peroxide Solution. 16 tsp. of Bicarbonate of Soda. 8 squirts of household washing up liquid 

To make up the solution, simply place all the ingredients into a jug or bowl. Gently stir…! Do not beat or shake the ingredients until such time as the bicarbonate of soda has totally dissolved! It’s also not advisable putting the solution into a sealed airtight container as the bicarb’ of soda gives off oxygen when mixed with a liquid and will it would pressurize the container and may make it unstable/unsafe to use! The solution is most active for one hour after mixing, so to achieve the best possible results, uses the solution within this time frame to achieve maximum effectiveness!

Instructions for use!
First you have to find the source of the smell… The good old fashioned way of getting down on your hands and knees and doing the ‘sniff test’ using your nose and eyes, is by far the cheapest way, but you can invest in a black-light bulb which can be sourced via your local pet shop or on the Internet. Once found…

1. Soak up as much urine as possible by blotting with paper towels, old newspaper or an old towel. Do not use your shoe to press down the paper towels, as urine residue on your shoe will track urine scent for several steps! Use your hand and then wash, or use a protective glove.

2. Completely saturate stained area with your made up solution.  For carpet stains, ensure padding is also saturated.  The solution must soak all of the affected area to eliminate the stain and smell.  Do not blot it up!  It must remain wet in order to work.  Do not shampoo carpet stains before using your solution, as it will interfere with the Enzyme.

3. If a coloured stain is noticeable on carpets, fabric or upholstery, rub your solution into the stained area while treating.  This assists in removing the visible mark of the stain.

4. Let the area completely air dry for approx’ 24hrs.

5. Then Blot with a damp towel/cloth to remove any surface residue after stained area is totally dry.

6. If stain is still noticeable, repeat until all evidence of stain is gone.

7. Once you are satisfied with the treated area, give it a good going over with the vacuum clear then put the kettle on!

Alternative methods of application include: 

Spot treatment – for clothing. The solution can be added to a washing machine pre-wash depending on the size of the load, you will need to make up enough of the recipe depending on how bad you think the offending stain/smell is. You can also just use it as a ‘hand wash’ treatment on clothes, but ensure you rinse well before you add any detergent etc. 

Spray bottle – For use on walls and hard surfaces. Ensure you give the area being treated a good soak!

Watering can – Ideal for outside use. Make up several large batches and let the area air dry for best results.

Carpet cleaning machines – Add a large batch to the machine, but don’t vacuum the solution straight back up, let it sit and air dry before carrying on with the use of detergents. Remember you need to get sufficient solution down to where the urine may of spread if treating carpets and underlay to solve the problem. Note: This solution is not a known product to the manufacturers of the machine. So the use of it in their machines is therefore at your own risk!

If this behaviour is new for your pet, have the vet check them out! It may be a urinary tract infection, impacted anal glands, etc. Animals don't usually make a mess just because they are mad. They may have a problem that needs looking at…Do them a favour… Make them that appointment, it may save you £££’s if the problem they have escalates! We all know how expense vet fees can be! Remember that the love and companionship your Pet gives you is well worth the effort you expend in cleaning up after him (or her).