Shelter Pit Bull Hailed a Hero for Donating Blood to Sweet Puppy

Being a dog in a shelter is hard. You never know what's going to happen; they might be moved, fostered out, brought back, and introduced to new dogs - and all of this could, realistically, happen within the span of just a few days. Shelter life is rough on even the sweetest of souls.

On Friday, June 28th, one puppy came into the shelter in dire need of some help, not only from humans, but from another dog. He needed blood, fast . Luckily for him, a sweet shelter resident stepped up to the plate:

I just know the Louisiana SPCA is so grateful for Scout's willingness to help others. He deserves a loving home forever!

Related: 'Happiest Dog at the Shelter' Gets Rescued and His Joy is Absolutely Infectious

Dragon Fruit (the puppy) was found in a bush outside an apartment complex near the shelter. Not only was the little guy covered in fleas, he was severely anemic - and he desperately needed a blood transfusion. These things can be hard to manage on short notice, but Dragon Fruit really didn't have much time, so they had to look for a match right there in the shelter.

Enter Scout, a two-year-old Pit Bull that the LA SPCA says is incredibly playful and affectionate. He's down for anything, and when they saw there was a puppy in need, Scout was easy to recruit. This heroic pup donated several pints of blood to the puppy and it's his incredible donation that gave this pup the boost he needed. Now, they're both in foster homes!

Dragon Fruit still needs a little time before he can be adopted into his forever home, but Scout is ready for his forever family now! If you're interested in Scout, you can view more information about him and other adoptable dogs and contact the shelter directly!

How Do Dogs Donate Blood?

Scout's video got well over a million views, and for good reason. Most people have no idea how things like this work: humans donate blood, but we can consent to it. What about dogs?

As it turns out, dogs can, do, and are often encouraged to donate blood. While humans get a needle stuck in their arm, dogs get stuck right in their jugular vein : it's easiest to access and typically the least painful since there's usually extra skin there. The dog isn't sedated, just lying down with the vein exposed.

Whether your dog will be allowed to give blood depends on a few things, like:

1. The needs of the blood bank/your dog's blood type
2. The dog's overall health
3. Their reactivity: a dog who's thrashing and angry does not need to give blood.

If your dog is allowed to be a donor, you can take them in to give blood once every 8 weeks. We don't know if Scout will donate again, but if he does, hopefully he'll have a forever family to go home to!