Blood Donor Dogs (anybody had their dog give blood?)

[QueenScoopalot]

For New Jersey's Finest Dogs, Good Deeds and Lots of Praise
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/19/nyregion/19ink.html

The bloodmobile was in town. The donors lined up, their tails wagging a bit
anxiously.

The emergency blood drive yesterday, in West Trenton, N.J., was the first
canine blood drive held at the New Jersey State Police headquarters. Nine
bomb-sniffing, narcotics-detecting dogs from around the state gave blood,
their trainers holding their heads for the few minutes it took to extract a
pint.

Dog donors have to be free of ticks and fleas, can't be in heat, must weigh at
least 50 pounds and be 1 to 7 years old.

Like humans, dogs need blood in cases of hemophilia and chronic kidney
failure, and, rarely, open-heart surgery. Unlike humans, dogs don't have a
universal donor blood type, and there are more than a dozen dog blood types,
said Donna Oakley, director of the University of Pennsylvania's canine blood
bank, which held the drive.

And canine blood drives are big in the sweet-talk department. Every dog is
praised, said Sgt. Stephen Jones of the State Police. "Big boy, this will be
over before you know it. Good boy!"

[Laura's Babies]

Now isn't that wonderful? This is sure something none of us ever thought about!!

A vet I use to have years ago had a "office cat" that was used for a donor whenever another needed blood and the cat didn't seem to mind a bit. He would just come when called, sit on the table to be stuck and sit there and wait while the blood was drawn. Best cat I ever saw!