Canine blood donors can save the lives of more than 40 dogs

There's a golden retriever, an English springer spaniel, a Doberman and a handful of mixed breeds.

But several times a year, they all become blood hounds.

The dogs are part of a program that gives the gift of life to an injured or sick animal.

They are blood donors.

As often as every seven weeks, the area dogs arrive at the Animal Health Clinic of Funkstown, roll up their paws and provide between 8 and 16 ounces of blood.

Over a year's time, the dogs will produce enough samples to save the lives of more than 40 dogs.

They are volunteers in the Canine Blood Donor Program, organized by the Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank, based in Purcellville, Va.

The blood bank has been in existence since 1993 and ships to more than 600 animal hospitals in the United States and Canada.

The Animal Health Clinic of Funkstown is the only donation site in Washington County, said Rebecca Chupak, the clinic's senior customer service representative.

The clinic has participated in the program since 2003, she said. "We decided to become a donation site because we have seen firsthand emergencies where blood transfusions are necessary to save a dog's life. We also support the idea of voluntary blood donations."

In the past, Chupak noted, facilities bred dogs specifically for the purpose of blood donation.

"There are cases of it still happening today," she said. "These are animals that live in cages and are brought out when it is time to collect a sample. After the sample is collected, they are put back in the cage until they are needed again. Sounds barbaric."

The Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank, on the other hand, is a firm believer in only utilizing voluntary donors.

"The dogs they use are people's pets, loved and cared for in a home environment by their families," Chupak said.  

According to the blood bank, transfusions are necessary when blood is lost following an accident or during surgery. They also are needed when a dog's body cannot produce enough red blood cells by itself or when diseases cause the body to destroy its own red blood cells.

"The donation of a dog's blood means saving the lives of other animals," Chupak said.

And the demand for blood products continues to increase.

"For instance, in one month, the Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank sent shipments containing four or five samples each to 200 hospitals nationwide," she noted.

Chupak said all blood taken from local pets is transported to the blood bank, where it is spun down and separated into plasma and red blood cells. It is stored there until it is needed by a veterinarian and then shipped over night to the facility.