Paws for Life Campaign

[Taz]

This is a few years old, but I just came a crossed it, and I thought I would share it with you.

Edmonton, March 27, 2001— In a first for the province, NAIT's Animal Health Technology program is asking man's best friend to help fellow canines by donating blood.

The Canadian Animal Blood Bank at NAIT is the first canine blood donor clinic in Alberta and only the second in Canada. On Tuesday, March 27, the clinic launched its Paws for Life Campaign, a recruiting drive to sign up 80 top dogs within a year willing to donate blood.

The four-legged donors will help ensure veterinarians have access to a safe, healthy supply of canine blood products to treat ill and injured dogs while providing NAIT students with first-hand experience in the burgeoning field of transfusion medicine.

"There is a trend towards people treating their pets like another member of the family," explains Dr. Jocelyn Forseille, the NAIT Instructor and veterinarian spearheading the project. As a result the demand for animal blood products to treat illnesses such as hemophilia, anemia and cancer is increasing. In the United States, long waiting lists for some blood products resulted when stocks of animal blood reached critically low levels.

Currently, the Canadian Animal Blood Bank at Red River College in Winnipeg is the only Canadian source for blood products. The NAIT project includes new distribution sites in Calgary and Edmonton, making it quicker and more convenient for Alberta vets to acquire high quality blood products.

The Canadian Animal Blood Bank at NAIT, established in cooperation with the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, and the Edmonton Association of Small Animal Veterinarians, requires a client base of at least 80 dogs to help meet the anticipated demand for blood products in Western Canada.

Sparky, owned by NAIT staff member Margaret King, is already on the donor list. "My husband donates blood, I donate blood, my daughter donates blood, my son will donate for the first time in April. We thought the dog should donate, too."

Dogs must weigh a minimum of 23 kilograms, be in good health, have up-to-date vaccinations, and be between one and eight years of age to volunteer. A friendly disposition is also crucial, says Forseille. Donor dogs must be willing to lie still for five minutes as a veterinarian inserts a delicate needle in the dog's jugular vein and withdraws 450 ml of blood.

Their reward? A dog treat, fancy red bandanna, microchip and the knowledge their donation will save the lives of other dogs while contributing to the education of NAIT students. For more information, talk to your veterinarian, call the NAIT clinic at

780-491-1324 or visit www.nait.ab.ca/animalbloodbank.

Note: Reporters are invited to visit the Canadian Animal Blood Bank at NAIT on Tues. March 27 at 11:00 a.m. Liz, a four-legged volunteer, will kick off the Paws for Life Campaign by donating blood. Dr. Jocelyn Forseille will be available for interviews.

For more information, contact:

Sherri Krastel, Communications,
Corporate Communications
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
11762 - 106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5G 2R1
Phone: (780) 471-8494
Fax: (780) 471-8583