“We pride ourselves on ensuring the welfare of our donors is at the forefront of what we do” - PBB UK.
UK charity Pet Blood Bank UK has responded to an article published in The Telegraph on Saturday (2 July) about a man believed to have killed hundreds of cats and dogs by draining them of their blood to sell to vets across Europe.
Luis Miguel VF, dubbed by reporters as the 'dog vampire', was arrested after Civil Guard Officials shut down his illegal veterinary transfusion business. Officials believe that at least 500 animals died at Mr Miguel's operation in Humanes de Madrid, Spain, which he had been running for almost 20 years.
In a statement released to reassure users about its work, Katrina Wilkinson, managing director at Pet Blood Bank UK, said: "We were horrified and saddened to read the media coverage coming from Spain on the devastating situation for dog and cat donors there.
"At Pet Blood Bank UK, we pride ourselves on ensuring the welfare of our donors is at the forefront of what we do. All our wonderful donors live in the UK, and we work closely with their owners to ensure they enjoy the experience of coming to give blood to help save the lives of other pets.
"Looking after our donors and maintaining a high standard of animal welfare is at the heart of and intrinsic to what we do.We would like to reassure our veterinary customers that all Pet Blood Bank UK blood products are produced by us and from UK donors.’
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
