IN what could easily be marked down as a shaggy dog story, an Evesham businessman is selling a product to prevent pet pooch's puddles marking perfect green lawns.

Peter Grinnall claims that by placing a "Dog Rock" in Fidoe's drinking bowl, it will take the phosphate out of the pee and prevent patchy grass.

"Dog Rocks are paramagnetic igneous rocks mined in a secret location in Australia," he explained. "They help prevent your dog ruining your lawn when they pee on it and causing those unsightly brown/yellow patches by reducing tin levels in the water, while also increasing all the good properties of boron, manganese and strontium. The rocks are placed in the dog's drinking bowl and left in there with the water just being topped up - and within a couple of weeks they start to work their magic."

Peter came upon the rocks while at Crufts and, suffering with a patchy lawn, decided to buy some off the internet when he returned home.

However, when realised that there were no other sellers advertising on ebay, he contacted the distributors, and put his idea forward about selling the product on the internet auction site. He has now been awarded a contract to be ebay UKs exclusive seller of Dog Rocks.

"The rocks have been used in Australia for five years with many thousands being sold in 2005 with great success," Peter added. "But it is only this year that they have been launched over here. We have only been selling the rocks for six weeks but have already sold more than 150 bags with all the feedback being good, many people saying how much greener their lawn looked."

"I think people like the idea because it is a natural product and, unlike the other options on the market, rather than putting chemicals into the dog you are actually taking the cause out of the water so there is no effect on the Ph of the dogs urine or to the dog." The cost of the rocks is £9.95 for a two month supply plus postage and packing. But if people contact Mr Grinnall via dog-rocks@hotmail.co.uk and mention the Worcester News he will donate £1 of every bag sold in June, July and August to the Dogs Trust in Wickhamford. Alternatively, they can search for Dog Rocks on ebay, not forgetting to mention the Worcester News. The product can also be bought from Skilo's Pet Supplies in Evesham.