Who can donate? 

A healthy dog, 1 - 8 years old, 50+ pounds, current vaccinations/heartworm prevention, and happy is a good volunteer candidate to donate!

Requirements vary by state/clinic.

What makes up a donation?

Dogs can donate up to one pint of blood per donation. One pint of blood can help several dogs, making up the five blood product components including:

Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBC), Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), Frozen Plasma (FP), Cryoprecipitate (Cryo), and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) (OVRS, 2023).

Dogs also have different blood types, just like people. There are over 13 canine blood groups, and eight DEA types are recognized as international standards (NIH.gov). Some dogs are “universal blood donors”, similar to people.

Where to donate?

Dog owners can volunteer their dogs to donate blood in specific veterinary hospitals and blood banks across the country that are equipped with the proper resources. Besides receiving goodwill, some clinics offer additional incentives to donate, like free veterinary services.

You can find local blood banks in your area on our Find a Donation Site page or by clicking the "DONATE" button.

When to donate?

Dogs can donate blood approximately every two to three months, which can vary for each state/clinic.

Why donate?

Just like people, dogs also run into emergencies where blood transfusions are necessary. Donors help ensure that any dog in need has access to life-saving medical care.

“Dogs need blood transfusions or blood product components for several reasons such as blood loss, surgery, trauma or injuries, diseases, and genetic disorders” (MSU, 2023).

How to donate?

It takes approximately 20 minutes per canine blood donation, which is performed safest and best while awake using the jugular vein (MSU, 2023). One donation consisting of one pint of blood can go into five blood product components or “blood patients”, therefore saving from two to five dogs’ lives. Larger dogs use more volume of blood products (OVRS Interview, 2023).