Love knows no species — here’s 7 stories that prove it!
Our furry friends bring immeasurable joy to our lives. Companion animals are proven to improve their humans’ stress, heart health, and emotional regulation. Having a dog or cat may even bring as much benefit to pet owners’ wellbeing as having a spouse (and are certainly much cuter when they snore).
Give Blood. Rescue a Human. celebrates our remarkable bond with critters of all shapes and sizes. We’re excited to bring you new stories — and to revisit some old favorites.
Take a listen to a few past episodes of Bloodworks 101 and marvel at these amazing connections. Love knows no species.
“Dogs, Dawgs, and ‘an exclusively human resource’ – Bryn Ament” (S6 E13)
University of Washington senior Bryn Ament has a very cool job. She’s a handler for one of the biggest celebrities in the state: the one and only Dubs. She’s also a blood donor, and the We Give Blood Drive with Big Ten and Abbott in 2024 offered an opportunity to bring both these worlds together.
“Dr. Cameron Berg and The Lucky Fox” (S5 E36)
It’s not every day we feature a Canadian veterinarian and a rare blood procedure called xenotransfusion. But that’s exactly what brought international media attention to Dr. Cameron Berg and the Toronto Wildlife Centre. And that’s how Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out about it. In today’s episode, John shares the story of Dr. Cameron Berg and the Lucky Fox.
“Choosing Hope: Kristin’s Blood Cancer Story” (S5 E30)
When Kristin Kleinhofer’s acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) returned, she picked a mantra, a quote by Christopher Reeve: “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” It’s this hope, along with the decision made by two families to donate their babies’ cord blood and the generosity of more than 90 blood donors, that powers Kristin today – and has allowed her to become mom to more furbabies.
“Dog Donors: Heroes with Four Legs” (S5 E11)
Did you know that dogs and cats can donate blood? As a Bloodworks executive, Jill Thomas never questioned that blood would be there for a loved one when they needed it. But when her beloved Boston Terrier, Leroy, had cancer surgery, she learned that, for our pets, this isn’t always the case. Come with Bloodworks 101 as we step into a different sort of donor center. (CW: pet illness and death.)
“When Corgis Fly: Leo Talks Platelets” (S3 E16)
Leo Notenboom is many things: 342nd employee at Microsoft, entrepreneur, animal lover, amateur radio operator, host of the Annual Pacific Northwest Corgi Picnic, dedicated platelet donor. Listen in as Leo shares his many passions –his optimistic nature motivates him in everything he does, from wilderness animal rescue to platelet donation.
“Fly like an Eagle: Avian Blood Transfusion” (S3 E3)
You may know that cats and dogs can give blood, but what about birds of prey? Dr. Nicki Rosenhagen of PAWS in Lynnwood, WA joined Bloodworks 101 to tell the story of Bey, a bald eagle found down in West Seattle, and the golden eagle who donated blood to save her life.
“Ruger: A Different Kind of Blood Hound” (S2 E4)
Ruger is a golden retriever who works with Kitsap Search & Rescue but he’s also part of a program that Bloodworks Northwest has offered to search and rescue operations all over the Pacific Northwest. And as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, Ruger may be a pure-bred golden retriever but in this case he’s a different kind of blood hound.
