When a dog in crisis urgently needed blood in South Australia, a 3-year-old golden retriever named Bruno stepped in.
Bruno's blood donation helped save another dog's life and drew attention to the growing yet underpublicized need for more canine donors.
Here's what to know
Bruno made his donation at the Millicent and Kingston Veterinary Clinic in South Australia, where staff say they are in dire need of more canine blood donations, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Because canine blood does not store well, veterinary clinics are constantly looking for dogs and owners willing to be placed on a list of potential donors who can be called upon in an emergency.
"Blood transfusions and the need for dog blood donation are an important part of our practice, and we're keen to get more donors on our list," Sarah McGrath, co-director of the clinic, told ABC News.
"The best way to help save a dog that is in need of blood is to get a fresh donation and give it quickly," she added.
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Bruno's owner, Michelle Gysbers, said Bruno, a healthy and active dog, handled the experience with little trouble.
"I was very proud of him. He did a great job. He was back to his self as soon as the sedation wore off," she said, per ABC.
Red Cross Lifeblood says a single dog blood donation can help save up to four lives. Still, the system requires a large, consistent number of donors in order to operate effectively.
With only one in 30 Australian humans donating blood each year, it can be a challenge to get owners and their pets to donate canine or feline blood, per ABC.
More background
According to McGrath, blood transfusions are most frequently used to treat dogs who have experienced poisoning, vehicle-related traumatic injuries, or illnesses such as cancer.
Dog donor programs can sometimes help other pets, as well. Stephanie Leeder, an internal medicine specialist at Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) in Adelaide, said cat blood can be especially difficult to obtain, but that ailing cats can receive a transfusion of dog blood in a pinch.
"Cat blood is notoriously difficult to source so in critical, high-stakes situations where cat blood isn't available, veterinary teams sometimes perform a xenotransfusion, which means giving dog blood to a cat to buy them time," she said, as quoted by ABC.
What's being done?
To keep up with rising demand, veterinary centers are developing increasingly formal donor networks.
According to ABC News, SASH's registry now includes hundreds of dogs and cats enrolled by their owners. The hospital launched an in-house blood bank for dogs in 2007 and later added one for cats.
McGrath said she is constantly looking for ways to grow her local donor base. Specifically, her practice is looking for healthy adult dogs over 55 pounds (25 kilograms) with no pre-existing health conditions and no history of receiving a blood transfusion.
Experts say the donation process is relatively simple and low-risk. Donor dogs typically receive light sedation, have small areas of fur clipped, undergo several health checks, and then donate in a process similar to human blood collection.
Both before and afterward, they are "lavished with pats and treats," according to McGrath.
Readers looking to take local action can support neighborhood animal networks and join animal donor lists in their area.
"It's certainly something I didn't have to think twice about," Gysbers said. "As a dog owner I'd like to think if one of my dogs was ever in need someone might bring in their dog for me."
Where can I learn more?
Bruno's donation is an example of a dog stepping in to save another dog. The following stories highlight ways in which humans have stepped in to help dogs in need.
• In Malaysia, rescuers ended a three-week ordeal for a stray dog trapped by plastic.
• In a city neighborhood, volunteers freed a dog trapped in a plastic jug.
• In Wales, trained puppies are helping protect wildlife in Africa's conservation parks.
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