This year’s annual blanket drive is once again be coming to the aid of homeless animals during the harsh winter months. The drive collects and distributes blankets and food to animal shelters in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, with the aim to include Durban in the near future.
“Many people are simply not aware of the discomfort that winter poses to animals,” says Melissa Riback of The Blanket Drive. “Regardless of having fur, animals are just as susceptible to extreme temperatures as humans, and will die without shelter when exposed to freezing conditions. Shelters offer them protection from the elements, food and the possibility to get adopted into a loving home, however, these shelters still require donations to keep running.”
With support from the community and local businesses the campaign has grown from assisting 4 shelters in 2003 to over 30 shelters and organisations this year, which includes organisations such as the SPCA, Animal Anti-Cruelty League, Kitty & Puppy Haven, Township Animal Rescue, Animal Ambulance, as well as various other animal welfare organisations.
Says Avin Levy, MD for Germophobe Laboratories, one of this year’s business donors – “This is an exceptional cause that can do with all the support it can get. Animals provide so much love and devotion without ever expecting anything in return. It’s very little to ask of people and businesses to give something back when they’re in need.”
Germophobe will be donating Mitefree™ Petrelief hampers to the blanket drive, a product that protects animals from allergies.
“When we heard about the blanket drive there was no hesitation for us to get involved and assist. We’ve always felt that making living environments more comfortable is not only important for people. It’s the reason that one of our products is specifically aimed at reducing irritants and allergens for animals, - allergic conditions that so often go unnoticed,” concludes Levy.
The blanket drive relies on the assistance from schools, organisations and individuals, as they do not receive government funding and the shelters have come to rely on the annual support that the blanket drive provides.
The joy of travel may lead to more than what you bargained for
Modern travel has become an everyday event, with business and leisure travellers completing thousands of trips around the globe every day. However, many travellers hardly give a second thought to the microscopic hazards of the different environments they are constantly being exposed to. With visitors from all over the world currently converging on South Africa, it brings to the fore the question of what unwelcome hitchhikers these soccer-loving travellers may be carrying around with them.
“Travelling exposes many travellers to environments and allergens that they would usually not come into contact with. Allergy sufferers especially often find that travelling can cause allergies to flare up without ever really questioning the reasons for it, often brushing it off to uncontrollable factors such as pollen or atmospheric changes. However, the truth is that this can often be very easily remedied with minimal effort,” says Avin Levy, MD for Germophobe Laboratories - a pharmaceutical company, specialising in the production of safe, non-toxic product ranges for the alleviation of dust mite, bed bug and pet allergies.
Dust mites are a major cause of allergies as well as further complications directly associated with the reactions. In fact, it’s been estimated that the majority of allergic reactions and asthma attacks are related to dust mites. Exposure to dust mites, animal dander, cat saliva and mould causes in excess of 200,000 emergency-room visits a year for people with asthma.
“Dust mites are an everyday part of life and in fact fulfil a role in the biodegradation of microscopic debris, however, it is the amount of dust mites and their faeces that cause allergic reactions. Dust mites themselves are harmless, however, their faeces contain allergens which trigger, in some cases, very sever allergic reactions,” says Levy.
Dust mites come in right behind pollen as the second most common cause of allergic reactions and thrive in warm moist conditions where people spend large amounts of time. This is due to the fact that dust mites feed on dead skin cells, something that all humans and animals shed on a daily basis. In environments where you can control the level of dead skin cells, such as your home, through regular cleaning and airing, the levels of dust mites can be relatively easy to control.
Explains Levy, “However, it is a far greater challenge to control dust mite levels in public areas such as airline cabins, waiting rooms, public transport and furniture in travel accommodation facilities. These areas typically have hundreds of people moving through them on a daily basis. In addition to the requirement for constant hygienic control through cleansing, all these travellers are also shedding dead skin cells, leading to a build up that far surpasses that of an individual’s home.”
Hotel rooms and other public areas often have an excessive amount of dust mites and mould in carpeting, mattresses and upholstered furniture which can exacerbate problems experienced by allergy sufferers. Without being able to actively control the level of dust mites, it’s important to always have an allergen suppressant at hand.
“MiteFree™ can drastically improve the quality of life for many allergy sufferers that have a reaction to dust mite faeces, especially while travelling. This is precisely the reason that we have recently introduced Germophobe’s new 50 ml travel size MiteFree™ product. It’s easy to carry in handbags or carry on luggage and to use whenever entering an environment that could contain high levels of dust mites, by spraying it onto bedding, blankets, pillows and into the air. However, an extra benefit is that 99,98% of all germs are also killed in the process”, concludes Levy.