Dogsey

A Staffordshire bull terrier who was given 24 hours to live after swallowing rat poison was saved, thanks to a pint of blood donated by a Newfoundland.

Four-year-old Mo found the rat poison in outbuildings near her home in the village of Bruton, near Wincanton in Somerset, but despite bringing it up, her condition deteriorated. Her owner, Debbie Perry, rushed her to the Bruton Vets, who discovered that her red blood count had fallen to less than half its normal level. She desperately needed a blood transfusion, but the nearest blood bank was 200 miles away.

Luckily for Mo, Debbie's friend agreed that her Newfoundland, Molly, could donate a pint of blood and Mo was able to go home two day's later. One of the vets explained that if a dog has never had a blood transfusion before, the risk of them having a bad reaction to it is very rare, so Mo was able to receive the blood immediately, without having to wait for type testing.

Molly's owner, Catherine Butler, spoke proudly of her dog: “They needed a big, calm dog to give blood to save Mo's life, so of course we didn't hesitate.” She added that although Molly was fine after the procedure, she now looks “a little nervous” walking past the vets.