The announcement was made on World Blood Donor Day.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has named its Pet Blood Donors of the Year.

The Feline Donor of the Year was awarded to two cats, Gru and Mitzy, both owned by Paul Downey in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

The seven-year-old domestic shorthairs have been donating blood since 2016. Gru has donated eight times and Mitzy six times, collectively helping 28 cats between them.

Gru and Mitzy both have Type B blood, a rare type that is only found in 20 per cent of cats.

Due to the rarity of the blood type, all cats requiring a transfusion of this blood are referred to RVC. This makes it particularly important to have cats like Gru and Mitzy on call to donate as needed.

The Canine Donor of the Year was Oliver, an eight-year-old lurcher from Chipping near Buntford, Hertfordshire.

Oliver is a rescue dog, belonging to Jeffrey and Glenys Kenyon, named after Oliver Twist as he had been found abandoned and severely malnourished.

He was first volunteered as a donor in 2018, when his owners’ German Shepherd called Saffron was admitted to RVC Queen Mother Hospital. Oliver was so well behaved during his health assessment that the nurses took a blood donation there and then.

Since then he has donated 18 units of blood, helping at least 36 dogs, as well as several cats.

The RVC’s registered charity, the RVC Animal Care Trust, awards the title to one feline and one canine donor a year, in recognition of their participation in their life-saving programme.

The announcement coincided with World Blood Donor Day, which took place on 14 June.

Charlotte Russo, head of transfusion medicine nurse at the RVC said: “Our voluntary donation programme is totally reliant on the goodwill of local pet owners who bring their pets to donate blood. All donors are given health checks prior to donating and receive a full blood screening annually free of charge. All donors are also gifted a special blood donor tag in recognition of their support and receive a special gift when they retire.”

Image (C) Royal Veterinary College