September 1, 2025 – New Delhi, India

Pet owners and farmers in India may soon find it easier to save the lives of their animals, thanks to the first national guidelines for blood transfusions and blood banks for animals. Released by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying on the eve of International Dog Day, the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aim to streamline donor selection, collection, storage, transfusion, and monitoring while ensuring safety and ethical standards.

Blood transfusions can be life-saving for both companion animals and livestock. Dogs often require transfusions due to severe anaemia, tick fever, accidents, or complications after surgery. Farmers rely on cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats, which may need transfusions following road accidents or parasitic infections. However, finding compatible donors has long been a challenge. Dogs alone have 13 different blood types, and mismatched transfusions have often proven fatal. Limited awareness, few dedicated facilities, and absence of regulations have compounded the problem.

The SOPs recommend state-regulated veterinary blood banks with biosafety-compliant infrastructure, mandatory blood typing and cross-matching, and strict donor eligibility criteria. Voluntary, non-remunerated donations are emphasized, supported by a Donor Rights Charter. The guidelines also integrate One Health principles to manage zoonotic risks and provide standardized forms, checklists, and procedures for transfusion monitoring and adverse reaction reporting.

The ministry plans to establish a National Veterinary Blood Bank Network (N-VBBN) with digital registries, real-time inventories, and an emergency helpline. Innovations such as mobile blood collection units, cryopreservation, and donor-recipient matching apps are also being encouraged, alongside training programs for veterinary students.

For dogs, the Dog Erythrocyte Antigen (DEA) system classifies blood types. DEA 1.1, 1.2, and 7 are the most important for transfusions, while dogs negative for these antigens are considered universal donors. Greyhounds often make ideal donors due to the natural absence of certain antigens, though cross-matching remains essential to avoid reactions in subsequent transfusions.

While India has a long tradition of revering animals, veterinary healthcare has lagged behind human medicine. Some facilities, such as GADVASU in Ludhiana and LUVAS in Hisar, already operate dedicated blood banks for dogs and livestock. MaxPetZ in Delhi-NCR serves urban pet owners, and platforms like Blood4Pet in Bengaluru help connect donors with those in need. GADVASU, which invested Rs 50 lakh five years ago, has treated over 1,000 animals, maintaining multiple units of canine blood despite the short 35-40 day shelf life.

India’s animal population is enormous, with over 537 million livestock and more than 125 million companion animals, including nearly 28 million pet dogs. Yet donor shortages remain a pressing concern, with owners fearing negative impacts on health or milk production. The new national SOPs aim to change this, ensuring safer transfusions and greater survival rates for animals in emergencies.

By standardizing protocols and raising awareness, India has taken a significant step forward in veterinary healthcare, offering hope for pets, farm animals, and their owners nationwide.