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Local animal hospital creates blood bank for pets

Posted at 5:48 PM, May 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-15 17:48:51-04

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — We've all heard the phrase, "Be a hero, save a life."

It's encouraging you to give blood. One liter can save up to three people.

But what happens when your pet needs a blood transfusion? One local group wants to create a blood bank of pet blood.

The Animal Hospital and Pet Resort at Southwood is starting North Florida's first emergency canine blood bank.

"Sometimes animals get sick because they have tumors, sometimes they get sick because they have diseases that attack their blood system and if they lose too much blood they need us to be able to give them more blood and by bringing the blood bank to Tallahassee, what we have done is created a source for that blood," said Sherri Casper, with the Animal Hospital and Pet Resort at Southwood.

Once a month, they'll collect blood for animals who are sick and injured.

They're looking for dogs over 50 pounds and indoor cats over 10 pounds.