A VETERINARY surgery in Hay-on-Wye has become one of the first to use a new animal blood bank.

Hay Veterinary Group on Newport Road saved Spaniel-cross Jack’s life by performing an age-old procedure using a revolutionary service when his immune system began to shut down.

Surgeon Helen Smith had already given blood from her own dog to the four-year-old with little success when she decided to register with Pet Blood Bank UK, the first UK charity to supply to order following a change in the law.

Helen said: “It was partly spur of the moment really that we found out – Jack was desperately in need of some blood so we rang the bank and sent off a small sample.

“It’s all to do with the ethics because you are taking blood from an animal and it can’t choose whether or not that happens itself, but they are quite choosy about which dogs they use, they have to be a certain size and in good health,” she explained.

Thankfully a blood type specifically packed with the red cells Jack needed was found and now he is back to his old self again.

And, after the television show, Animal 24:7, got hold of the tale, his owner Michele Watkins also had the unusual privilege of finding out who the donor was too.

Michele, an administrative assistant from Llanigon, said: “It was only when I saw the programme that I realised it had come from a greyhound near Birmingham and I emailed the blood bank straight away to say ‘thank you so much’.

“I am just so grateful to everyone at the vets. He is absolutely back to his full, mad self again.”