This is so cool - canine blood donors!

Yesterday at OSU, a gentleman from our area of NE Ohio had driven the 2.5 hours with his lovely greyhound named Val, and brought her in to give her scheduled blood donation. We had a nice conversation with him in the waiting room. He belongs to a greyhound rescue organization and Val is his dog. He said greyhounds are most often the 'universal donor' blood type, and because of their large size and calm temperament they are perfect for donating blood. A greyhound can donate just less than a pint at a time.

He brings Val to OSU for scheduled donations and in return they provide her with free food all year, vaccinations, frontline and heartworm preventive.

Val was so happy when she came out to the waiting room - everyone there seems to know her! She had a hot pink bandage around her neck, and they brought out a trolley with her new bags of food on it. :jump:

That is so cool, and well done on the vets for the rewards for the blood transfusion. Although I'm sure an owner like that would still donate regularly even if he wasn't rewarded with food, frontline etc.:rah:

A few miles from where I live in Loughborough we have a pet blood donating centre. I think it is the only one in the UK so far.

That is really cool!!

they had this in my vets in essex also, maybe there is a central storage bank available for a few areas or something

In the UK there is now a national blood bank for dogs (presumably situated near Loughborough!) - I gather the response for donations has been good, all the vets seem to have a poster up about giving blood.

Kate, Oliver and Aled (who all came back very muddy today from a long - 6 mile - walk; I'm so tired of filthy dogs, when is the weather going to improve?)

Not sure how it works with dogs, do they have blood types?

Anyway i agree with you about the filthy dog situation, i have to do 2 20min walks with harley dailey and he is always fithy when we get back regardless of where we go. di