Veterinary Teaching Hospital blood bank seeks new donors

Dog and cat donors must meet certain age and weight requirements and pass health screenings. The temperament of the donor animals also plays a significant role in the success of the program. Foster and her team are diligent about behavior screening to ensure that the donors are comfortable and content during the process. 

“The well-being and quality of life of the donors are just as vital as saving lives with their contributions,” said Foster. 

Sheree and Darrell Coulter, owners of a 7-year-old boxer-pitbull mix and canine blood donor named Topper, spoke passionately about the impact of the program. “It’s amazing,” said Sheree Coulter. “It helps full-grown dogs who need surgery, and it helps the puppies too when they can’t nurse.”  

“People know about human blood donors through the American Red Cross,” Darrell Coulter said, “but they don’t often think about what happens to the animals.”

Topper has made several donations and his owners spoke about how much he enjoys getting to see the staff at the teaching hospital every few months. On average, each pet makes four to six donations per year.

Heidi Phillips, a lab technician at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, supports the blood bank in multiple ways. Her lab stores the donated blood, and her two Weimaraners, Eva and Hazel, contribute to the supply. 

“I used to donate blood myself,” said Phillips, “and I thought that it’s so neat that the dogs can give back to their kind. I used to have Jack Russell terriers who were too small to donate, but as soon as my larger dogs became qualified, we signed up.” 

“Dogs don’t have to be purebreds or show or hunting dogs like mine to donate. Almost all breeds and mixes are welcome and could make awesome donors, if they all meet the criteria.”

The demand for blood can fluctuate which is why it is critical for the program to have a robust list of participants. “We had a spell where we were using a lot of blood,” Phillips said, “and it hurt me to tell them we didn’t have any available.” 

During times of critical need, the hospital calls on owners in the program to come to the hospital for emergency blood draws, which can happen at any hour of the day, but owners like Phillips repeatedly step up and provide support.

Enrolled pets receive additional benefits, including annual exams, vaccinations, and preventatives while active in the donor program. 

“It’s nice, because, you know, for my two girls, it’s close to $300 to have all that testing done,” Phillips said. “And with them being show dogs and out in the field, those preventatives are something that I keep them on all the time. But it’s not the main reason we donate.” 

Like Phillips, owners opt to register their pets in the program because of their compassion and willingness to contribute toward saving the lives of others.