Talk about a BLOOD hound! Labrador Stumpy is Britain’s biggest canine donor


Talk about a BLOOD hound! Labrador Stumpy is Britain’s biggest canine donor – after leg injury prevented him from taking up his first job a guide dog

  • Stumpy the labrador was bred to help blind humans with day-to-day life
  • Deformed leg prevented him from becoming a guide dog so he is a blood donor
  • He has saved the lives of up to 120 other dogs thanks to his regular donations

Stumpy the labrador was bred to help blind humans with day-to-day life.

But when a deformed leg prevented him from becoming a guide dog, his owner found an alternative way for him to help others.

The golden labrador became a dog blood donor – and he has saved the lives of up to 120 other dogs thanks to his regular donations over the past nine years.

Stumpy the labrador pictured with Coventry vet Elly Pittaway. H has saved the lives of up to 120 other dogs thanks to his donations

Stumpy the labrador pictured with Coventry vet Elly Pittaway. H has saved the lives of up to 120 other dogs thanks to his donations

After making his 30th blood donation at the start of this year, Stumpy was crowned Pet Blood Bank UK’s highest donating dog.

Stumpy’s owner Elly Pittaway said she was delighted her beloved pet had been able to help so many others.

The 43-year-old vet from Coventry told the Daily Mail: ‘Stumpy obviously has no idea what he’s doing it for but I’d love to think he did and I’m sure he’d be very proud of himself.’

Stumpy gets plenty of treats and praise throughout the donation process, and Miss Pittaway says ‘he actually really enjoys the whole thing. He looks forward to it.

The golden labrador giving blood with vet Elly Pittaway. Stumpy gets plenty of treats and praise throughout the donation process

The golden labrador giving blood with vet Elly Pittaway. Stumpy gets plenty of treats and praise throughout the donation process

The golden labrador giving blood with vet Elly Pittaway. Stumpy gets plenty of treats and praise throughout the donation process

‘He pulls me into the room because he knows that he’ll just get biscuits all the way through.’ Stumpy first began donating blood aged one – the youngest age that a dog can be to give blood – and has donated around three to four times a year ever since.

He has a negative blood type, which means that his blood can be given to any dog in an emergency, and with the ability to split blood donations into four, he could have helped up to 130 others.

But last week Stumpy celebrated his ninth birthday, so he is no longer able to give blood.

Stumpy has a negative blood type, which means that his blood can be given to any dog in an emergency

Stumpy has a negative blood type, which means that his blood can be given to any dog in an emergency

Stumpy has a negative blood type, which means that his blood can be given to any dog in an emergency

As a result Pet Blood Bank UK is appealing for more dogs to follow in Stumpy’s impressive pawprints. Breeds of dog the charity is particularly looking for, which are more likely to have negative blood type, include German shepherds, greyhounds and boxers.

Like the human service, Pet Blood Bank UK collects blood from donors at organised sessions nationwide, on average four to five times a week. The blood is then processed into packed red blood cells and fresh plasma, and delivered to veterinary practices when they need it most.

Miss Pittaway said that aside from giving blood, Stumpy loves to spend time in the park. She added: ‘He just loves running around. He’s very good at fetching a ball.’