Title: California’s Last Closed Canine Blood Colonies Remain Open Despite New Law
Photo illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; Photo via Getty Images
A subzero freezer at a Northern California pet hospital stores rows of carefully labeled bags of fresh frozen plasma, each containing the life-saving potential for a pet. The contents of these pouches come from diverse sources, some from dogs like Augustus, a Belgian Malinois whose owner signed him up for a canine community blood bank modeled after the human volunteer system. Others, however, come from a more controversial source: donor kennels in California, home to hundreds of dogs and cats as full-time blood suppliers.
The State’s Journey So Far
For decades, California veterinarians were required to purchase blood exclusively from these closed colonies, a system regulators deemed essential to ensure the products’ safety and the donors’ freedom from diseases. Veterinary hospitals that collected blood in-house for their patients were not allowed to sell it. In 2021, state lawmakers declared the closed colonies inhumane due to the animals’ captivity and vowed to replace them with community blood banks. The law included a provision allowing the shut-down of dog closed colonies, with a phase-out that would begin once community blood banks matched their output. However, the law remains incomplete, with the dog colonies still operational and supplying the majority of canine blood products in the state.
California’s Closed Colonies
The state’s closed colonies produce more than 97% of canine blood products, including whole blood, red blood cells, and fresh frozen plasma, sold in the state through September of this year. This divide has left California tied to a system it initially vowed to abandon. Inspection reports, along with emails, court depositions, and other records reviewed by The Times, exposed new details about the colonies, including the lack of a regulatory limit on the number of years a healthy animal can be kept as a donor, and the absence of disclosure regarding the number of animal euthanizations annually.
The Dilemma
While pet owners are eager to have their pets participate in blood donation, veterinarians are torn between their sympathy for the animals held captive for blood production and the desperate need for a safe and reliable blood supply. “I don’t want to see captive dogs,” said Ken Pawlowski, clinical director of one of the three community blood banks in the state licensed to sell blood products. “However, it’s a necessary evil at this point.”
The Struggle to Succeed
While the state’s community blood banks have made progress, the supply remains insufficient, with many veterinarians warning that shutting down the closed colonies would have catastrophic consequences for animal health. “It would not only be a devastating effect; it would be a long-lasting, perpetual issue for animals in California,” said Grant Miller, California Veterinary Medical Association representative. “That would be very scary for us.”
The Battle for Transparency
The new law aimed to increase transparency, with state officials beginning to omit most information from inspection reports, such as the number of animals housed at each facility and the number of annual animal deaths. State officials defended the decision, citing the need to streamline review processes in anticipation of the establishment of new blood banks. The agriculture department’s proposal to establish stricter oversight and greater disclosure has yet to be enacted.
The Road Ahead
California’s journey to develop a more humane and efficient blood supply continues to face significant challenges. As pet owners and veterinarians navigate the ongoing debate, the need for a reliable and safe source of blood remains pressing. “Anyone who understands the kinship and bond many owners have with their pets knows the last thing any pet lover should ever hear is that their beloved animal died simply because there wasn’t an adequate supply of blood available in an emergency,” said Scott Horner, CEO of Animal Blood Resources International. “That’s exactly the danger of what these activists are promoting.”