The following was sent by Mary Ann Moore about her Spanish Greyhound Luna. Thank you Mary Ann for article.
Luna, a Galga, was brought to Scooby Medina Shelter in Medina del Campo, along with littermates shortly after they turned 6 weeks old. Thanks to the tender loving care of Jacinta Kabel, Cathy Ingle, Diane Ward and of course Fermin Perez, she survived and made the long trip overseas to the USA. She came to live with me in November of 2009, just as she turned 6 months old, and she has been a complete joy to me and all who have met her, living happily with her Greyhound companions. Now Luna has begun to give back to the canine community by becoming a blood donor. She was accepted into the program operated by the St. Louis Animal Blood Bank (SLABB) that supplies much needed blood to 4 area emergency clinics. With her first donation, she supplied blood that will potentially save the lives of two dogs in need. The program asks that the owner commit to having the dog donate a maximum of every 3 months for a 2 year period. The actual draw is relatively quick; the blood is taken from the jugular (the short haired hounds do not even need to be shaved) and a quiet pump expedites filling up the small pint bag in minutes. Upon completion, food, water, many treats and much pampering is given by the vet techs. I was allowed to be with her the entire time; she never left my sight. Overall, I believe it is a good thing to do if your hound is accepted, alleviating the need to use shelter dogs for transfusions or keep a dog in a clinic specifically as a donor. Most greyhounds/sighthounds' blood type is negative, which is 'universal donor' in the world of dogs. In return, in addition to the satisfaction of knowing she will be a hero and possibly a life-saver for others, Luna will get a complete blood work-up yearly including heartworm test, at no charge, and all dogs in my household will receive a discount at any of the ER clinics should we ever need it. And she got a cute bandana, too!