We petition the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to adapt current legislation on Canine Blood Products and bring in strict legislation on feline blood products and transfusion guidelines, which currently only takes within its remit blood products that are stored.

Since this legislation was introduced, there is an organisation that hoards and houses many dogs and cats, to provide canine and feline whole blood. Whilst this product is not stored, the blood is used as a medicine. This organisation is on a parallel with a blood donor colony, like those seen overseas. In fact, cats are procured purely for their blood type. As cats need sedation for donating blood, this means cats in an organisation such as K9 Feline Blood Donors, are repeatedly subject to sedation.

This makes current legislation unfit for purpose, due to a change in circumstances. We want the VMD to take this into account and make such organisations, where people house multiple cats and dogs, with the intent to use them as blood donors, subject to regulatory and inspectorate bodies.