Blood Connection Asking Pet Owners to Give Blood and Help Local Shelters

Today is National Pet Day and the Blood Connection is asking people to consider helping animals in need when they come to donate blood.

Katie Smithson is the Partner and Media Manager for the Blood Connection.

Smithson said all this month, they’re offering donors a way to help pets via their e-gift cards.

“April 11 is National Pet Day and we are always looking for new ways to reach new blood donors and everybody loves to talk about their pets. So throughout the month of April, we are encouraging people to donate blood with the Blood Connection and then they are able to donate their rewards to a variety of different animal shelters and humane societies across the Carolinas and Georgia,” Smithson said.

National Pet Day takes place every year on April 11.

Knowing how much people benefit from having a pet, Colleen Paige, a U.S.-based animal welfare advocate and pet expert, founded National Pet Day in 2006 and it is now celebrated in over 10 countries worldwide including Ireland, the UK, Italy, Spain, and Australia, according to Vetster.com.

Although dogs and cats are the most popular pets, National Pet Day is for all the animals that keep us happy and healthy—even snakes and spiders.

Smithson said it’s easy for blood donors to donate their gift cards to a local shelter or animal rescue group through the Blood Connection donor portal.

“Our donors will receive a $30 in rewards through our gift card system on our Website,” she said. “When you donate through us you will get a donor ID and you can link it to your Donor Portal online and on that portal we have an online store. And that’s where people can typically redeem those points and rewards for gift cards for a lot of different stores. But also on there we also have several options where people can donate to different animal organizations through that website.”

In our area, Blood Connection bloodmobiles will be at Toccoa Falls College from 10a – 3p and Emmanuel College Thursday from 3p – 8p; the Toccoa Walmart on Friday, the 14th from 4p to 8p, and the Hartwell Walmart on Sunday, the 16th from 10a to 2p.

All blood types are needed but especially type O negative, which is the universal blood type and can be given to anyone with any blood type.