BluePearl Blood Banks Encourage Pet Blood Donations
To commemorate Blood Donor Month, which takes place each January, BluePearl is encouraging donations from pets across the country to alleviate the shortage of available blood products nationwide. Just as humans require blood transfusions for medical conditions or emergencies, the same is true for pets and due to the increased demand for emergency and specialty veterinary care the need for pet blood donations is greater than ever.
Healthy cats and dogs between one and eight years old, meeting certain additional requirements are eligible to donate through a short and painless process at over a dozen BluePearl Blood Bank locations across the country. Each blood donor is considered a hero at BluePearl, and the contribution can give the gift of life to other animals in need.
As with humans, cats and dogs can donate blood several times each year, with BluePearl recommending 12-week intervals between each donation. To meet the growing demand, BluePearl would need to receive triple the amount of donations in 2024 than those that were received in the year prior. For each blood donation, pets can save the lives of up to three others, with donations being a way for pet owners to help other pets in need in partnership with their furry companion.
“As the World Health Organization said, ‘blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person,’ and the same goes for pets” said Meghan Respess, Director of Blood Banking at BluePearl. “Our objective is to raise awareness that pet blood donations are an option and hopefully to encourage pet owners to take their cat or dog to donate if they are eligible. We would love to welcome your pet at any one of our BluePearl Blood Banks across the country, but our primary objective is to encourage donations wherever is convenient for pet owners so we as an industry can help as many pets as possible.”
BluePearl is a part of the Mars Veterinary Health family, providing exceptional specialty and emergency care. To learn more about BluePearl, the BluePearl Blood Banking Program and requirements for animals donating blood, visit BluePearl Vet or follow us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.