A coordinated, nationwide system allowing owners to register suitable dogs, cats, rabbits and other species for scheduled blood donations would save lives by improving access to essential transfusions for companion animals.

In international models, dogs typically donate every two–three months, with cats and rabbits donating less frequently due to size and blood type considerations. Volunteer-based programmes that include robust veterinary screening, health checks, and recovery periods to ensure donor welfare would complement existing blood supply services, including colony-based or clinic-level blood banks.

Blood transfusions are critical for treating trauma, surgery, poisoning, and immune-mediated disease. Supporting a structured, welfare-focused donor programme benefits both the animals receiving lifesaving treatment and the welfare of donor pets.

SPCA has concerns about New Zealand’s colony-based blood system, which relies on frequent blood donations from a small group of dogs kept exclusively for this purpose.

While colony-based blood donation systems can provide a convenient supply, they concentrate risk in two ways; they make the blood supply vulnerable if something goes wrong, for example a disease outbreak at the facility, and raise welfare challenges related to prolonged confinement and frequent, repeated bleeding of a small number of dogs over a long period of time.

Frequent, repeated donations over prolonged periods may increase the risk of iron depletion. Repeated venepuncture (usually jugular) can lead to local scarring, haematoma formation, rarely, thrombosis. Permanent housing of dogs in kennels can compromise welfare and lead to the development of behaviour problems.

Most countries with established companion animal blood banking systems, such as the UK’s Pet Blood Bank, rely on community‑based donor models. These meet blood donation needs through less frequent donations from a much larger population of companion animals. SPCA supports the scaling up of volunteer-based donation programmes, with pets living in home environments and returning for scheduled donations. These are considered more consistent with modern welfare standards and international best practices.

SPCA supports companion animal blood donations, provided donor animals are assessed for suitability and have a Good Life where they experience positive welfare and their physical, health, and behavioural needs are met.

SPCA considers that animals should not be kept exclusively for commercial blood donation. Sourcing donors from the existing pet population is preferable, as these animals already live in enriched, familiar environments where their physical, behavioural, and social needs are met. Wider, community volunteer-based systems also reduce reliance on repeated bleeding of the same animals and allow for longer recover times between donations for individual animals.

Donor animals should be healthy adults of medium to large size breeds who are comfortable with handling and veterinary environments. All donors should undergo a full health check, have a normal blood count and chemistry profile, and be tested for species-specific infectious agents appropriate to location.

Cooperative care training is recommended to help donor animals build a positive association with the donation process. This includes using reward-based training prior to the donation to familiarise donor animals with the veterinary environment and the sound of the clippers (hair is typically shaved to make finding the vein easier) and train them to be comfortable adopting the body positions needed.