Serious Shortage of Canine Blood at the Blood Bank

The Maryland area is suffering from a serious shortage of blood for sick or injured dogs.   Just as blood is constantly needed for humans, it is also needed for our canine friends.  The Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank, one of 3 major canine blood banks in the US and a large provider of canine blood in the Maryland-DC-Virginia area, has had to ration blood between hospitals, refer them elsewhere, or put them on a waiting list.

Canine blood is needed throughout the country every day.  Other than natural disasters that heighten this need, dogs across the country are suffering from immune issues requiring multiple transfusions, sometimes for the rest of their lives.  There are always accidents, a traumatic blood loss from being hit by a car, un-vaccinated puppies being exposed to parvo virus, or even dogs who accidentally get in to rodenticide.

The Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank is now at risk of losing the ability to hold its monthly blood drives at Baltimore Humane Society.  This would create an even worse blow to the blood supply.  Most other blood banks have a closed colony where they keep dozens of donors in cages.  Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank (BRVBB), however, is the largest "only volunteer" canine blood bank in the U.S.  That means it uses dogs who are living in homes, not in their lab.   This forces the bank to work on a constant renewal process.  Dogs join the program and then later age out or families move away, creating a constant need to renew the donor pools.  BRVBB prides itself on the fact that ALL of their donors live at home with their families who donate only 20 minutes of their time every 5-7 weeks giving blood.  The donors are not sedated. 

Hundreds of hospitals both locally and nationwide rely on BRVBB’s blood supply because it is the only blood bank that ships nationally and on the east coast.  Shortages are devastating when the bank has to tell a hospital asking for blood that there is none.  That means dogs needing life-saving blood won’t have any because their vets’ requests for blood are turned down.  As a last ditch effort they might turn to alternative donors who have not been screened for infectious diseases or even blood typed.

Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank is striving for 15-20 consistent donors to visit them at Baltimore Humane Society every 6 weeks.  However, they are down to only 5-7 donors, sometimes less. 

Baltimore Humane Society and Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank are putting out a plea for help. 

Anyone with a healthy dog between the ages of 1 and 7 and at an ideal body weight over 35 pounds is asked to register to give blood.   A consistent commitment to the program is needed due to the high cost of the screening provided annually. This also gives a reliable and predictable blood supply for the entire nation.

The next blood bank will be held at Baltimore Humane Society on Saturday, July 27th. Contact donors@brvbb.com.  today to register.  For more information about canine blood donation and Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank go to www.dogsdonateblood.com.

About the Baltimore Humane Society

The Baltimore Humane Society, founded in 1927 by Mrs. Elsie Seeger Barton, is an independent, non-profit, no-kill animal shelter, which offers low-cost veterinary care to the public, and a pet cemetery with grief support services.  We receive no operational funding from the local or federal governments, or any national animal welfare organizations.  For more information about BHS, and how you can contribute, volunteer, adopt, or foster, please visit www.bmorehumane.org or call 410-833-8848.