Revealed: Dogs and Cats Caged and Bled for Life at Pet Blood Banks in US
An undercover investigation has uncovered the grim conditions for nearly 900 animals at a blood bank where they are caged and bled repeatedly to supply major vets.
Kolbie, a 12-year-old hound who was born at the blood bank and had been subjected to a “horrible” debarking surgery. He was later adopted by the undercover investigator. Credit: PETA
An undercover investigation has uncovered the shocking and grim reality for animals kept at blood banks in the US.
In the animal blood bank industry, animals including dogs and cats are kept in captivity for the sole purpose of drawing blood so that it can be sold to veterinary practices.
Now, an undercover investigation into one of the largest animal blood banks in the US has offered a rare glimpse into the secretive industry and has reported various abuses.
An undercover investigator from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) spent seven months at the Veterinarians’ Blood Bank in Indiana last year. The facility is said to house nearly 900 animals in “barren” kennels and “severely crowded” pens.
Among the allegations of abuse at the huge facility is that blood is taken from animals that are ill and compromised. PETA alleges that the company draws blood from animals every three weeks - even from animals who suffer from infections and cancer.
In undercover video footage taken at the blood bank, various animals appear emaciated or suffering from medical conditions. Many are said to have pressure sores and growths which are likely from lying on hard floors without respite.
Dogs can be seen with wounds that are a result of fights and attacks between stressed kennelmates, with one dog in particular developing a deep infection wound that hadn’t healed seven weeks later. And cats with respiratory infections were also reported to be bled despite their poor health.
Where Do These Animals Come From?
Another serious allegation in the investigation claims that stray kittens as well as dogs and cats seeking homes through online ads and Facebook posts are ending up at the facility.
“Where you get [them] from is not my business”, a manager is reported to have told staff at the facility, who were offered $200 for each cat they brought to the blood bank.
The same manager allegedly told staff that she herself had acquired cats from online ads, and was aware workers were sourcing the likes of kittens from Facebook posts advertising them for adoption.
Most, if not all, animals at the facility are expected to spend their entire lives there. Even senior animals and those too small to be used for blood collection were warehoused indefinitely. The animals “stay here until they die”, one worker explained to the PETA investigator.
During the investigation, PETA’s investigator was able to persuade the facility to let them adopt some of the animals there, including Vivi, a 4-pound cat who was suffering from a lingering mouth infection for which she was denied adequate veterinary care. The investigator rushed her to a veterinarian, who determined that her mouth was so infected that all her teeth had to be removed.
A manager planned to abandon Jane the cat, pictured above, because she was too sick to be used for blood draws. PETA’s investigator adopted Jane and provided her with veterinary care. Credit: PETA
Among others, they were also able to adopt Kolbie, a 12-year-old hound who was born at the facility and had been subjected to a “horrible” debarking surgery.
“Animals at this supplier are treated like live blood bags, serving a life sentence amid deafening noise and in barren pens, denied a home or family, and deprived of needed medical attention and any semblance of joy,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch.
Following the release of the investigation’s findings, PETA has called on major veterinary chains to drop The Veterinarians' Blood Bank as a supplier.
Within two weeks of the investigation going live, PetVet Care Centers, which operates more than 350 animal hospitals across the country, have agreed to sever ties with the blood bank.
PETA says it recommends that veterinary hospitals should obtain blood only from healthy animals, who live in homes as beloved members of a family and are volunteered for periodic blood donations by their guardians.
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