India opens first blood bank for dogs

CHENNAI: Veterinarians in the southern city of Chennai are looking for donors after opening India’s first blood bank for dogs.

Dr P Thangaraju from the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University said 28 owners had already registered their dogs for donation and a black Labrador was the first through the doors when the facility opened on Monday. “Our university has become the first university in Asia, after the US and the UK, to start the blood bank,” the vice chancellor said, adding that eight varieties of dog blood had been identified. Owning pets is a growing trend in India, but reserved exclusively for the middle classes and the wealthy, who can afford animal food and veterinary bills.