Dr. Michael Longoni , assistant director of medicine at the Emergency Animal Clinic in Mesa, said local veterinary hospitals normally do not keep dogs just to use as blood donors. Blood for canine surgeries is also available in the Valley at two different blood banks or from national blood banks, but some surgeries require fresh blood. The Emergency Animal Clinic houses one of the veterinary blood banks in the Phoenix area, and Longoni said most veterinarians in Phoenix get blood banks or find donors among staff members' pets. Gus said that with the volume of clients at the hospital, it is convenient to have Saber available to donate blood all of the time. At those times it is good to have a live donor.
Saber gives blood only when the hospital needs it.
Sometimes there are several surgeries in one month, and sometimes the hospital goes a long time without a surgery, Gus said. It takes Saber less than three weeks to fully recover from donating, said Jennie Smith, who works with Saber in the kennel area. After donating blood, Saber usually is a little weak for an hour or two. Saber's trainers said they do not usually notice any change in Saber's energetic behavior after he donates. Ready resource Saber lives in the hospital's kennel area and has his own run space.