For some, the only highlight of giving blood is the post-donation treat.
What makes these donors stand out?
Four legs and an acute sense of smell.
And instead of cookies and pretzels, these furry patients are offered milk bones to help recuperate.
Penn Animal Blood Bank collects and stores both cat and dog blood and owns two bloodmobiles, which are for dogs only. Cats require sedation prior to having their blood drawn and therefore must go to the hospital for the service.
The blood bank is the oldest volunteer-based donor program for dogs, and its two fully servicing bloodmobiles are the only ones in the nation.
"Most people never realize animals need blood transfusions, and when they do, the next thing they say is 'how can we help?'" says program founder and director Donna Oakley.
The Penn Animal Blood Bank, operated by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, was created in 1987. Its mission is to provide a sufficient supply of blood to animal patients treated in the school's hospital.
"We responded to the need there was for animal blood products," Oakley says. "Historically, we had collected blood from shelter dogs, and we made the decision that we needed another resource ... so I looked at the way the Red Cross handles blood products for people, and it was sort of a natural step to think about animals donating blood for other animals."
In 1991, the blood bank expanded to include a bloodmobile specifically designed for dogs that travels throughout the tri-state area to receive blood donations.
A second bloodmobile was donated to the blood bank in May of 2002 by the Wurster Family Foundation and helps to provide blood for the 27,000 animal patients treated every year at the hospital.
Currently, over 1,000 dogs are active donors.
"It's gained momentum almost on its own because of the concept of the program. It serves a need, and we save lots of lives," Oakley says.
While many dog owners are eager to have their canine friends lend a helping paw, the doggy donors must meet certain standards.
"The requirements are that first the dogs must have a good disposition and they are going to tolerate us picking them up and taking the donation," says Angela Hyson, a veterinary nurse for the blood bank. "If the dogs are showing any signs of not being happy about anything, then they don't do it."
Other guidelines the dogs must fit include being between 1 and 9 years old, weighing at least a healthy 50 pounds and maintaining general good health.
"The point of the requirements is that we do a really thorough and extensive history with the owners because, although we want to ensure the quality of the blood product, we also want to ensure the safety of the donors," Oakley says.
At each location visited by the bloodmobiles, an on-site organizer is responsible for a preliminary screening of the dogs.
"We really like to work with owners who know their dogs very well and who take good care of their dogs," Oakley adds.
After blood donations are taken on the bloodmobiles, they are brought back to the hospital, where they will be either used by on-site patients or shipped to other veterinary clinics across the country.
With the program, the Veterinary Hospital is able to perform 12 blood transfusions a day.
"It's a very positive experience because we get to see all the happy, healthy dogs and we get to take this life-giving gift that they have to these sick animals," says Maria Calabrese, a blood bank veterinary nurse. "It's just nice to see the sick animals get better with the blood."
