In 7 years, Arnie has donated twenty bags of his blood, which has saved more than 80 of his fellow human beings. This dog has reached retirement age, but his owner wants to encourage other owners to imitate him.
Arnie is one of the most famous blood donor dogs in England. Having reached the age limit for blood donation, he officially retired after saving the lives of dozens of other canines, reports People.
The 9-year-old English Springer started donating blood in 2015. His owner Rachel McFarlane, a 36-year-old groomer, saw a call from Britain’s pet blood bank, the Pet Blood Bank. She and her dog had traveled from their town of Falkirk, Scotland, to donate blood.
20 others have since followed. Knowing that each bag of blood saves 4 dogs, Arnie therefore counts 84 canine lives saved thanks to his precious vital liquid.
To be able to donate blood, a dog must be in good health, between 1 and 8 years old and weigh more than 25 kilograms in particular, according to the standards applied by the Pet Blood Bank.
After each donation, Arnie was rewarded with a bag full of goodies. And when he retired, he was treated to a basket full of treats and toys.
“A simple process and not at all stressful”
Now Rachel McFarlane, who also has a 15-year-old Border Terrier named Finlay, wants to inspire other owners and encourage them to take their dogs for blood donation if they meet the criteria. However, she believes that teachers need to be better informed about this subject. “It’s amazing how many people have never heard of dogs giving blood,” she says.
“It’s a simple process and not stressful at all,” she continues. All owners of large breed dogs should definitely consider donating [blood].” Rachel McFarlane advises them to talk to their veterinarians before taking the plunge.
