Canine Blood Donor of the Year 2021
The ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ (RVC) is celebrating World Blood Donor Day on 14th June by honouring the incredible animal superheroes that donate to the blood donor programme. These heroic efforts help to save the lives of hundreds of pets every year. As part of this, its registered charity, the RVC Animal Care Trust, has presented 'Blood Donor of the Year' awards to two very special families of canine and feline blood donors in recognition of these life-saving donations.
From treating a pet after a road traffic accident through to managing a critical illness, these blood transfusions play a crucial role in the treatment and recovery of affected animals. In the last year alone, there have been almost 500 canine transfusions.
The Canine Blood Donor of the Year award has been given to the Lines family’s three dogs. Cydney (German Shepherd and Rottweiler crossbreed), Bernie (St Bernard and Labrador crossbreed), and Dash Lines (German shepherd and Great Dane crossbreed) are all dogs who have just retired from the service after seven years and have been a lifeline to so many. Together, the dogs made 51 donations which facilitated more than 100 transfusions. They also helped with six bypass cases and were available for emergencies. Sadly, Dash passed away earlier this year, and so the award is also in honour of his service and a celebration of him and his family.
Gill Lines, owner and recipient of the award, said: “We are so thrilled to have been given this award, especially after losing Dash. We just love being a part of the blood transfusion team and it always feels so wonderful when we receive thankyous from owners whose pets have been saved by our lovely boys.
“We have signed up a few friends to the scheme over the years and would recommend it to everyone. Our boys have loved the attention (and the food!) and we love that they are so well looked after and have their bloods checked regularly as a result. Now that our dogs are retired, we hope to be back with new family members in the future.”
The pioneering blood donor programme helps to keep hundreds of critically ill animals alive every year. Over 200 heroic dogs and cats visit the RVC’s Small Animal Referrals Hospital to donate their blood. This year has been particularly challenging due to COVID-19 and restrictions brought in to keep the hospital safe. Despite this, pet owners have continued to support the service, ensuring the hospital has the blood it needs to support the variety and complexity of treatments offered at the RVC, including open-heart and spinal surgery, emergency and critical care and cancer treatment.
Charlotte Russo, Senior Transfusion Medicine RVN at the RVC, explains: “Every year we are blessed with so many fabulous donors and every single one of them deserves the Blood Donor of the Year award. The Lines are a long-term, dedicated donor family who have been on the programme for years and their pets have helped countless patients during their time with us.
“We have always found appointments with these gentle giants thoroughly enjoyable. They were always easy and relaxed during donations and loved a snuggle! We were devastated to hear about Dash and hope this special award provides some much-needed joy and a wonderful way to celebrate Dash and the family’s incredible efforts.
“Despite COVID-19 restrictions both pets and owners have risen to the challenge to ensure that vital blood donations continue to be available, and lives continue to be saved. We are so proud of all of them and are so grateful for their support.”
The ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ and Animal Care Trust rely exclusively on the goodwill of local pet owners who bring their pets to donate blood; they are not paid for this service. Donors are given health checks before donations and a full blood screening is performed free of charge annually. Donors are also provided with a special blood donor tag to recognise their support, and each receives a special gift when they retire.
The ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ Blood Transfusion Service is calling for more dogs to join the programme. The canine breeds which tend to be an appropriate weight and usually of universal blood type are Greyhounds, German Shepherds, Dobermans, Airedale Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Flat-coated Retrievers, Boxers, Collies, and Labrador Retrievers.
If you think your pet could be an RVC superhero, please contact the RVC Blood Donor team for further information.