Pet Blood Bank UK secures £5,000 grant
The grant was awarded by The Dian Plant Charitable Trust.
Pet Blood Bank UK has received a £5,000 grant to fund its services for veterinary charities across the country.
The grant, awarded by The Dian Plant Charitable Trust, will enable the organisation to provide blood products at no cost to charities including the PDSA, Blue Cross and StreetVet.
Pet Blood Bank UK was set up as a charity to provide a blood service for pets, much like the service that exists for humans. It runs donation sessions across the country, where it invites pet owners to bring pets to donate blood.
The blood is taken to a processing centre in Loughborough, before being sent out to veterinary surgeons who need it. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Last year, the charity collected over 3,500 units of blood and dispatched over 6,500 blood products to vets across the UK. Since its launch, over 17,000 dogs have donated blood.
The charity says that every unit of blood can help save the lives of up to four dogs.
Its grant will support the charity as it supplies blood products to veterinary charities free of charge for an entire year. The organisation says that this helps maintain its commitment to pets, made in 2019, even when rising costs and reduced fundraising income puts pressure on the charity.
The charity aims to advance blood banking and transfusion medicine for pets. As well as supplying blood donations, it is also committed to sharing knowledge and free education to veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
Katrina Wilkinson, managing director of Pet Blood Bank UK, said: “When treating an animal, cost can be a serious consideration and some owners who rely on veterinary charities may be unable to afford access to blood for their pet, but they deserve the same chance of life as any other animal.
“We’re enormously grateful to The Dian Plant Charitable Trust for recognising this need and helping us to continue honouring this promise.”
Image © Pet Blood Bank UK
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
