Dog blood donor registry seeks more volunteers

Hundreds of dogs in Czechia require blood transfusions each year, but owners often have to find donors themselves because the country lacks a nationwide network of veterinary blood banks. To mark World Blood Donor Day, the organization Červená tlapka is encouraging owners to register their dogs as blood donors. Its online database currently includes around 1,300 dogs, with a goal of expanding to at least 1,500. Healthy dogs aged between two and eight years, weighing at least 20 kilograms and with no previous transfusions, are eligible to donate. Veterinarians say suitable donors are usually found through clinics, the registry, or social media.