No blood banks for dogs in city, a stray saved Dadar family’s dog

Leo at the Tata Trusts’ Small Animal Hospital in Mahalaxmi

Amid a lack of veterinary blood banks in the city, the dog feeding community recently came to the rescue of Leo, an ailing pet owned by a family residing at Dadar Parsi Colony, ensuring that the canine got back on its feet.

Leo, who is a part-Labrador, had experienced gastrointestinal bleeding after swallowing a stone. On Friday night, the canine received a fresh lease of life thanks to Rony, a female stray that lives on the premises of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Colaba.

Benaifer Kerawala, who, along with her husband Nawzer, has been taking care of Leo for more than five years, said, "Around 15 days ago, Leo swallowed a stone somehow, which later started taking a toll on his body. We admitted him to the Tata Trusts' Small Animal Hospital on Friday."

Rony, the female stray who turned saviour

"As Leo was haemorrhaging blood, a donor was urgently needed. We were shocked to learn there are no blood banks for animals in Mumbai. Desperate, we circulated a message on WhatsApp. Within two hours, I received calls from Borivli, Mulund, Colaba, Dadar, Kemps Corner and many other places," she added.

"Several dog feeders rushed to hospital with their strays. After testing four of them, it turned out that Rony's blood matched with that of Leo. We fed Rony and, later, the blood transfusion took place. Leo's condition was extremely critical, but he was saved in the nick of time," Benaifer said.

Leo is out of danger and recovering at the hospital.

Tanya D'Souza, Rony's feeder

‘We are grateful'

Nawzer said, "Donating blood is an act of amazing kindness. Ronny is a god-sent angel. The Small Animal Hospital is, in my opinion, the safest and best-equipped facility for blood transfusions for dogs. We are very grateful to Rony's feeder, Tanya D'Souza, for her support and guidance. We received numerous positive responses when we requested blood for Leo. This shows that many people are willing to help, but if a blood bank were set up in the city, it would be a boon for all pet parents and bring peace of mind to doctors."

D'Souza said, "Rony was found during the lockdown and since then, she has been taking shelter at the entrance of the Taj hotel. The BMC should create a blood bank for animals. Animals, too, have the right to life."

‘Awareness needed'

Dr Rajiv Gaikwad, head of medicine at Mumbai Veterinary College, said, "We have blood bank facilities but there is no awareness. If blood is required, we inform donors to arrange for blood for dogs in need. There are only a few donors, due to which our blood bank is not fully functional. But, we make arrangements as per requirements. We also hold several awareness camps and request blood via Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms."

Mitesh Samrathmal Jain, honorary animal welfare representative of the Animal Welfare Board of India, said, "Every day, we receive eight to 10 calls from those seeking blood for dogs. We have many groups and we post their requirements on them. If we get donors, we have to conduct blood tests, which is a time-consuming process. On Saturday, I received a call from a Malad resident who needed blood for his pet. So far, none of the donors' blood matched that of the injured dog. The BMC should set up a blood bank for animals."