Cats and dogs owners were invited to a special blood drive last week – the first human/pet blood drive in Israel, meant to boost blood banks in both human and pet hospitals. The special pet blood drive project was initiated by the Beit Dagan Veterinary Hospital and Magen David Adom emergency services and saw MDA crews take blood donations from pet owners, while the veterinary hospital's team, headed by Dr. Eran Siton, did the same with the pets. For some reason, most people are unaware of the fact the just like humans, dogs and cats often need a blood transfusion to treat cases of trauma, various diseases, poisoning, snake bits and other emergencies. The veterinary hospital has been managing a pet blood bank for several years, and occasionally its calls on the public to bring their pets and donate. The donation procedure is painless for the pet and does not require anesthesia. The donating pets receive a full physical examination by a veterinarian, including a blood panel. In addition, they also receive six-months insurance from the blood bank in case they need a transfusion. "This is a very important initiative," said director of veterinary services in the Petah Tikva Municipality, Dr. Tika Brown. "We hold a special pet blood drive every year around June 14th, which is the International Blood Drive Day". Dr. Brown added that in addition to all registered pet owners in the municipality, the teams welcome anyone who chooses to come and donate blood with their pets. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter