TAIL wagging as he chases a ball in the park, Bramble may look like any black labrador — but don’t be fooled. This floppy-eared, glossy-coated superhero has helped to save the lives of 104 dogs in the past eight years.

    Last week Bramble gave blood for the 26th time, making him Pet Blood Bank U.K.’s most prolific donor. As usual, he gave 450 ml — just under a pint (the same as humans), and enough to treat four dogs anywhere in Britain.

    “I’m so proud of Bramble,” said owner Maria Craddock, from Durham, Britain. “I’d be distraught if anything happened to him, so knowing he’s helped save the lives of other people’s equally precious pets makes me love him all the more.

    “He wears a little Blood Bank U.K. tag on his collar and if people spot it when I’m out walking him, they’ll say: ‘He’s a blood donor? That’s amazing!’

    “Not many people, even dog owners, seem to know about the blood bank but it provides a vital service.”

    Maria, 24, got Bramble eight years ago when he was a few months old. She signed him up to give blood after seeing a notice appealing for donors in her local Vets 4 Pets surgery when she took him for his first inoculations.

    Bramble had to wait until after his first birthday, as only dogs aged between 1 and 9 (in human years) are allowed to donate. For younger and older dogs, less likely to be in peak health, it may be unsafe.

    However, chihuahuas and cocker spaniels need not apply, as only canines weighing 55 pounds (24.9 kg) or more — that’s to say, at least as big as an average labrador — are sizeable enough to make the grade.

    Bramble, who weighs 77 pounds, has been doing his bit for his fellow canines three or four times a year since his first birthday but will be hanging up his tourniquet in six months’ time, when he turns 9.

    Maria said, “I think he’ll really miss it. One reason why I’ve taken him so often is that he genuinely seems to love the experience.”

    Like all donor dogs, Bramble is thoroughly checked over by a vet before he donates.

    Once he has been given a clean bill of health, a small piece of his coat is clipped from around the jugular vein, then numbing cream is rubbed on the area and given a few minutes to work before a needle is inserted.

    The jugular is used because it is larger than veins in the legs. That makes it easier to access and the blood flows quicker, limiting the amount of time a dog has to lie still on the examination table.

    Bramble’s heart rate is monitored throughout, to ensure that he’s not showing signs of distress.

    His collected blood runs through a tube into a bag of the same type used to collect blood from human donors. Each bag contains an anticoagulant to stop the blood clotting in transit to its recipients.

    Afterwards a small bandage is applied. Then Bramble is rewarded with wet food and dog biscuits and gets to choose a squeaky toy to take home, and a red Pet Blood Bank bandana is tied around his neck to honor his contribution.

    Bramble’s willingness even inspired Maria, who works for the pet supplies chain Pets At Home, to start giving blood herself a few years ago — though she has some way to go to catch him up, having donated only 11 times so far. “I thought if Bramble can do it, so should I,” she said.

    (SD-Agencies)