Smiler lives with his friend Bree the nuggety cattle dog just outside Helensville on 5 acres. They went down for their annual vaccinations recently and the Vet asked if she could take a blood sample from him.
Up came the paw, in went the needle and out came the blood without him even twitching. It seems that some Greyhounds are a rare breed that can have a "Universal blood type" and their blood can be used in any dog undergoing surgery. Smiler came back positive for Universal and is now an official Helensville Vet Blood Doner. He has been on stand by twice but has not given yet.
So for anyone that lives rural with a Greythound it may be a good idea to get your vet to check to see if they can join this exclusive club.
Andrew Denton