Yet, as hard as it is to believe, those in need of blood to save their lives are not only always humans, but also animals.

Too often, pet owners and veterinarians are forced to confront a heartbreaking situation where an animal in need of an immediate transfusion has no blood donors on hand.

Given that time is of the essence during such critical moments, having a donor readily available may just save a pet from an untimely and unnecessary death.

With this in mind, one veterinarian in Petaling Jaya, Dr Teoh Kah Ying, 26, has created a website, Malaysia Pet Blood Donor, to make it easier for pet owners to donate their pets’ blood or request for blood donations.

With its simple and accessible interface, in just a matter of clicks, pet owners can sign their pets up as blood donors, or request for a blood donation if their pet needs one.

Speaking to FMT, Teoh, a Universiti Putra Malaysia graduate, said her desire to help animals can be traced all the way back to her childhood.

“I had four to five pet dogs during my childhood, and I was always concerned about their welfare,” she says.

According to her, the sight of stray dogs being mistreated often made her angry. Given her love for animals and her affinity for science, Teoh made up her mind to become a veterinarian when she was 16.

It was Teoh’s experiences as a veterinarian that led her to create Malaysia Pet Blood Donor.

“After I started practising, there were many times when my patients needed blood transfusions. The reasons animals need transfusions are similar to that of humans,” she says, pointing out that cats and dogs are just as susceptible to developing a blood disease such as leukaemia or anaemia.

Then there is the possibility of a pet dog or cat bleeding heavily after a particularly brutal fight or getting hit by a vehicle.

“Right now, we don’t have a blood bank for animals,” says Teoh. “In the future, we should definitely start one but, right now, I think a database like Malaysia Pet Blood Donor will be more usable and convenient.”

Before the website was set up, Teoh used Instagram to raise awareness on the need to have a database of pet blood donors and how pet owners could help each other.

Like humans, cats and dogs have different blood groups, with cats being pretty similar to humans in terms of their blood groups, namely A, B and AB.

Dogs, on the other hand, have several blood types, including DEA 1.1 positive or negative, DEA 1.2, DEA 3, DEA 4, DEA 5, DEA 6, DEA 7 and DEA 8.

DEA stands for Dog Erythrocyte Antigen, which is basically a dog’s red blood cell protein, and a dog’s blood type often depends on its breed.

For example, Dobermans and Alsatians are often DEA 1.1 negative, while Labradors and Golden Retrievers are usually DEA 1.1 positive.

“Dogs with DEA1 negative blood are universal donors, meaning that they can donate to every other dog,” says Teoh.

There are some criteria for dogs and cats to be eligible donors, and these include a clean bill of health, good temperament, ideal body weight, and being fully vaccinated.

“There’s also an age requirement,” she says, adding that cats and dogs aged between one and eight are eligible to donate.

Unlike humans who can donate blood while conscious, animals have to be sedated to keep them calm during the process, which can take up to 20 minutes.

As a bonus for registering your pet on Malaysia Pet Blood Donor, every potential donor is entitled to a health screening based on the sample taken from the pet.

In the event another pet in the area needs blood, the donor’s owner will be contacted to arrange for an immediate transfusion.

While the response to her website has been positive so far, Teoh laments that there are more pets in need of blood than there are donors.

“That’s one of the challenges we are facing,” she says. “People are using up a lot of blood (for their pets), but not many people are signing up their pets as donors.”

As such, she hopes Malaysian pet lovers will do their part by spreading the word about her blood donation initiative.

Without an available supply, there will always be tragic moments when pet owners desperately appeal for blood donations while their pets slowly slip away.

“I can only hope that no pet will ever need to depend on a blood donation for their survival,” adds Teoh.

In need of blood for your pet, or looking to sign up your pet as a donor? Visit mypetblooddonor.com for more information or send a message via WhatsApp to 010-5578965. Sign your pet up as a donor or recipient here.