The University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school operates a mobile lab to make it easier for canines to make life-saving donations.
Penn Vet's bloodmobile travels around the Philadelphia area. School officials say they do not know of any other such vehicle operating in the US.
The officials add that dogs might need blood transfusions for the same reasons as people. They could get cancer or suffer trauma, like being hit by a car.
Dogs must have a certain blood type, weigh more than 55 pounds (25 kilograms) and be under 8 years old. The short procedure does not require sedation and is similar to what people do when they give blood.
And, just like human donors, the animals are rewarded with a snack and a sticker. Everyone knows about bloodmobiles for humans and now there is a bloodmobile for dogs as well.
