A Golden Gift: Alita’s Journey to Becoming a Lifesaver

Alita is a Golden Retriever who will be turning 3 years old on December 26th. We first learned about dog blood donations at the Fall Pet Expo in September 2024, when we stumbled upon the Canadian Animal Blood Bank booth. I had never really considered the idea of dogs being blood donors before, but I was immediately intrigued by the opportunity to sign Alita up. If she was eligible to donate, it would be wonderful to be part of something so meaningful, knowing that it could help save the lives of other pets.

On November 14th, I brought Alita to Snelgrove Veterinary Services in Brampton, where she made her very first donation and officially became part of the donor team. The experience was incredibly positive; the staff took their time to allow Alita to get to know them and ensure she was comfortable before proceeding with the donation. For her first donation, Alita gave a full unit of blood. Afterwards, I treated her to a cheeseburger from McDonald’s as a special reward!

Interestingly, I also donated blood for the first time this year, on October 23rd. It felt extra special to share this meaningful “first” with my dog. Since posting about Alita’s donation on social media, I’ve received many comments from people who were surprised to learn that dogs can donate blood. This makes me realize how important it is to raise awareness about this life-saving process. Hopefully, with more education, more dogs will be brought in to donor clinics. They say that one blood donation can save up to three doggy lives!

Story by Brittany, Alita’s Mom

Learn more about the Canadian Animal Blood Bank and register your dog as a hero today. Visit https://canadiananimalbloodbank.ca to get started.