Just like humans, pets can need donated blood in a crisis. And just like human blood banks, that supply depends entirely on willing donors.

Northside Emergency Veterinary Service (NEVS) and The Pet Specialists run a shared canine blood donor program right here on the Beaches. The blood collected through this program is stored in their on-site blood bank and used to treat critically ill and injured animals when they need it most.

Take Bentley, a local dog treated for immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia, a condition where the body attacks its own red blood cells. Or Peanut, a Staffy who came in after a severe red-bellied black snake bite and needed multiple transfusions alongside antivenom and mechanical ventilation just to survive. Both dogs made it. Both needed donor blood to do it.

This is not a program that could exist without the community. Every donation comes from a local dog, brought in by an owner who chose to do something extraordinary. Taco, a greyhound and one of the program's most dedicated donors, has saved eight lives through his donations alone.

Donation is a safe, low-stress procedure. Donor dogs receive a full health check at every visit, and the collection itself is quick and carefully managed by the NEVS and The Pet Specialist teams. Most dogs go home the same day and are back to their normal selves within a day or two. Dogs can donate every 12 weeks, and as a thank you, donor dogs receive a gift pack and their owners receive a gift voucher.

To be eligible, dogs need to be between 1 and 8 years old, over 25 kg, up to date with vaccinations and worming, calm and confident at the vet, not on any regular medications, and never have received a blood transfusion.

When a dog arrives in haemorrhagic shock, collapsed from severe anaemia, having blood available immediately is the difference between having options and having none. The NEVS and The Pet Specialist blood bank is stocked by donors from this community: dogs walked on the same beaches, visiting the same parks, living in the same streets as the patients who need them.

It speaks to something the team sees every day on the Beaches: a genuine community of people who look out for each other,
and their animals.

Could Your Dog Be a Donor?

Check the List:

• Between 1 and 8 years old
• Over 25 kg
• Up to date with vaccinations and worming
• Calm and confident
  at the vet
• Not on any regular medications
• Never had a blood transfusion

Ready to register your dog as a blood donor?

Dogs that meet the criteria can be registered at nevs.net.au or thepetspecialists.com.au, or by calling (02) 9452 2933. It could be the most important thing your dog ever does. •