Dog Honored for Blood Donations
HOWELL, Mich. (UPI) -- A 2-year-old English mastiff is being honored by the Livingston County American Red Cross in Howell, Mich., for donating blood more than 20 times. The 200-pound dog, named Lurch, has been named one of the organization's "Everyday Heroes" for his blood donations, which include a donation that saved the life of a dog that swallowed rat poison, the Livingston County (Mich.) Daily Press & Argus reported Tuesday. "The blood itself goes to a lot of places like MSU (Michigan State University) and goes to certain clinics," said Joni Melvin-Thiede, Lurch's owner. "You really don't end up knowing which dogs he helps, but his little picture goes on each bag so the person that gets it will actually know it." Melvin-Thiede said Lurch donates blood about once a month. The dog and his owner have been invited to the Red Cross "Everyday Heroes" banquet, scheduled for Thursday at the Crystal Gardens center. "We just did it because he seems to like to go out," Melvin-Thiede said of Lurch's donations. "We didn't know we were going to get to go to Crystal Gardens." Copyright 2008 by United Press International