(COLORADO SPRINGS)– Blood donations from several police dogs saved the life of Roam, a Colorado Springs Police K9, after he was stabbed three times in the line of duty.
More than a dozen service animals, including dogs from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), came to the Animal Care ER to donate blood to help Roam.
“We were very honored to be able to help,” said Cassandra Sebastian, EPSO Public Information Officer.
HemoSolutions provided the donations that played a large part in the life saving measures by coordinating the service dogs.
“There was a lot of care that he received. But I think that blood products were probably a huge portion of why he pulled through,” said Dr. Danika Hayden, veterinarian at Animal ER Care.
Dogs, like humans, need to be a match to donate blood. On the day of the incident, K-9 Knox came out of retirement to donate blood, and Marco, the newest canine, also contributed.
In total, 13 service animals showed up to support Roam, demonstrating the strong partnership between agencies. Dr. Hayden explained that while previous blood donations initially helped Roam, fresh donations were crucial for his recovery.
Sebastian noted that only about 7% of dogs used in law enforcement qualify to donate blood, highlighting the rarity and importance of these donations.
EPSO has collaborated with the North Springs Veterinary Referral Center to facilitate blood donations for emergency situations involving service animals.
Dr. Hayden emphasized the need for more animal blood donors and encouraged pet owners to check if their dogs can donate.
After his transfusions, Roam was eager to play with his ball, showing signs of recovery.
Doctors report that Roam remains stable and full of energy following his check-up on Monday, thanks to the life-saving blood donations from his fellow service animals.
