New Animal Blood Bank in South Florida Opens Doors, Seeks Donors
Animal blood bank providing critical blood products for veterinarians seeks volunteer canine and feline blood donors. Animal CPR and first aid classes are also available to the public. Community assistance is needed.
(PRWEB) January 30, 2004
“Has your dog thought about giving blood lately?” We asked this question of dozens of people at Markham Pet Festival 2004 this January in Sunrise, Florida. Many people gave us quizzical looks, and then said, “Gee, I guess he’s never thought about it…tell me more.”
For the most part, when animals are in need of an emergency transfusion the veterinarian’s personal pooch is the donor. This works well if there is a very infrequent need for blood, only small amounts are needed, and whole blood is the treatment of choice. However, animals with severe trauma may require several units of blood. Also, most animals don’t need whole blood – they only need parts of it, like the cells or the plasma. And all too often, there just isn’t blood to spare.
Sun States Animal Blood Bank is the newest animal blood bank, and the only animal blood bank operating in Florida. We are a non-profit corporation that provides canine blood and blood components and feline blood products as well as CPR, Advanced Life Support, and First Aid training for humans and animals. All of our donor animals are volunteer donors – we do not maintain a stable of greyhounds in the back! This means that we need YOUR help and support if we are to carry on our mission of providing life-saving blood products to those in need.
There are only four other animal blood banks in the US, and the next closest one is in Maryland. While all of the blood banks provide excellent service, there is still a tremendous shortage of blood products for animals. We hope not to compete with the others but to help fill the gap between animal blood needs and the available blood supply.
You can help by signing up your animal to be a donor. Your dog should be greater than one year of age, weigh at least 50 pounds, be current in their vaccinations and heartworm preventative, and be in good general health. Your veterinarian (or one of our staff veterinarians) can certify their health history. The donation process is very simple and takes only a few minutes. Anyone who’s ever donated blood in a human blood drive will recognize the process and the collection equipment – we use the same products the Red Cross does. The animals tolerate the procedure quite well. After they’re finished donating, they get a cookie, you get some orange juice, and everyone’s on their way home. As a further measure of our gratitude, every animal who donates blood is eligible for a free unit of blood product for every unit donated for life if they should ever need it.
There are many places in which your animal can donate blood. Sun States holds regular blood drives in conjunction with important animal events in the Broward County area (soon to be in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties), at local animal hospitals, and at the Sun States office. Feel free to drop by with your dog on Sunday afternoons, when our office is open from 2 to 5 PM to donate blood. Appointments are not necessary. WeÂ’ll also do private parties! Collect a group of friends and their pets and we will come to you. You can find our Registration & Health Assessment forms on our website at http://www. ssabb. com/forms/CanineReg. pdf (http://www. ssabb. com/forms/CanineReg. pdf). Or you can e-mail us at rick@ssabb. com.
If you are a veterinary clinic, grooming salon, pet store, or doggy day care and would like to host a blood drive, please contact us and weÂ’d be happy to arrange it. We will arrive with all staff and equipment necessary, and can set up in an unused room or even in the parking lot of your facility. You can reach Sun States Animal Blood Bank at (954) 630-2231. Thank you so much for giving the gift of life!
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