Dog Blood Donations at Konkuk University Center to Surpass 1,000 This Year

On the afternoon of January 12, at the KU I'M DOgNOR Blood Donation Center at Konkuk University Animal Hospital in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, a five-year-old Labrador named "Gippeum" from a guide dog school headed straight to the rooftop garden as soon as the door opened. The space allows donor dogs to catch their breath before giving blood. After slowly walking on the grass, Gippeum lifted her head at the medical staff's call and made her way back inside the center.

The KU I'M DOgNOR Blood Donation Center opened in August 2022 as a specialized facility for canine blood donations. "DOgNOR," combining "Dog" and "Donor," refers to dogs that participate in blood donation at the center. To be eligible, dogs must be large breeds weighing 25 kilograms or more, between one and eight years old, have completed regular heartworm and deworming prevention, and be free of infectious diseases.

In the blood collection room, Gippeum showed brief signs of tension when the needle touched her body. Medical staff embraced and slowly stroked her to help her relax. Blood was drawn through a large vein in the dog's neck area, which allows for safe blood collection in a relatively short time due to the thicker blood vessels compared to other areas. After donating approximately 320 milliliters of blood, Gippeum ate treats offered by the medical staff, drank water, and rested briefly. After walking through the hospital corridor, she quickly appeared to have regained her energy.

Gippeum's guardian, Yoon Sook-kyung, 43, said she drove about an hour from Yongin. "I decided to participate after hearing through the guide dog community that Konkuk's blood donation program is systematically operated," she said. This was Gippeum's first blood donation. "My daughter, who is in fifth grade of elementary school, wants to become a veterinarian and really wanted to come today. We plan to come together next time," Yoon added.

As the population of pet owners rapidly grows, veterinary medical facilities are increasingly called upon to handle emergency and serious treatments beyond preventive care. According to the "2025 Korea Pet Report" published by KB Financial Group, an estimated 15.46 million Koreans owned pets as of the end of last year. This means three out of every ten Koreans live with a pet. In terms of households, 5.91 million households own pets, raising an estimated 5.46 million dogs.

Since its opening, the KU I'M DOgNOR Blood Donation Center has recorded 801 donor dogs and a total of 979 donations. Considering already scheduled appointments, surpassing 1,000 donations within the year is a foregone conclusion. However, emergency blood donation situations remain precarious. Lee Da-min, the center's chief veterinarian, said, "For blood components like platelets that are difficult to store, or when large transfusions are needed, we personally call guardians from our pre-consented list. Even when we contact them at midnight, three or four guardians rush to the hospital immediately."

Late last month, a 50-kilogram Malamute patient with a platelet count of zero arrived for emergency care. Although it was late on a Friday evening, five large-dog guardians arrived at the hospital, and three dogs that met the conditions donated blood past 11 p.m. "As the guardians were leaving, they asked about the patient's condition, saying they really hoped the dog would survive," Lee recalled. "It was a moment when I clearly felt the empathy and solidarity among large-dog guardians."

Han Hyun-jung, director of the KU I'M DOgNOR Blood Donation Center, also pointed out the limitations of the canine blood supply structure. "Although about 1,000 donations have been made over three years, this doesn't even cover 5 percent of the total transfusion demand nationwide," she said. "The reason emergency situations keep recurring is ultimately because supply is absolutely insufficient."

However, she drew a clear line against "corporate blood-supply dogs" raised in mass breeding operations solely for blood collection. Han suggested the "walking blood bank" concept as an alternative, where hospitals or institutions care for a small number of large dogs like family members and share blood only when truly needed. "When a culture takes root where blood donation is participated in as naturally as taking a walk, rather than being viewed only as a noble sacrifice, veterinary care for companion animals can advance to the next level," she said.