WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and SportsPets helping pets by donating blood

MIDDLETONW (WKOW)-- We all know the importance of donating blood. But have you stopped to think about your pet and what if they were in an accident and needed a blood transfusion?

We meet a dog who's done his part to help out his fellow furry friends. It makes Chip and his owner "Someone You Should Know."

Pets need blood just like humans do. But Frannie here isn't getting blood, she's giving it.

Frannie's owner works at Veterinary Emergency Service in Middleton.

Whether a trauma situation or surgery or even a dog getting into rat poison, dogs and cats may need a blood transfusion.

"The way most rat poison works is they cause bleeding they prevent them from activating their clotting factors so they just bleed, so dogs come in and have bled, lost a lot of blood. So they're very anemic and they need blood quickly," said Dr. David Wirth.

Wirth used to get their blood from an out-of-state animal blood bank. The overnight wait was sometimes not quick enough.

So, they started harvesting their own blood in 2004.

"He was big enough, healthy enough & old enough to do it, so he started doing it," said Melissa Lange.

Chip, a chocolate lab, was one of their first donors.

"It's about a pint of blood, same as a human," said Melissa. "It takes maybe 10 to 15 minutes for the whole thing."

Chip's owner, Melissa Lange, is a certified veterinary technician and wanted to help the pets she saw in need. Frannie has donated 5 times already.

"They have to be at least a year old, they have to be above certain weight, they can't be a small dog, they have to be a rather large dog," said Dr. Wirth. "They have to be healthy so they can go through blood screening and they have to have a good temperament so we can collect blood from them."

Chip began donating when he was just 2. He's donated 20 times, but has had to stop now that he's 11 years old.

Other dogs can pick up where Chip left off.

"If your pet is healthy enough it's not going to hurt them at all to donate," said Melissa.

Right now, just Veterinary Emergency Service employees and their pets are part of the program.

But as the need grows, they may open it up to clients.