Protesters to Demand Release of Greyhounds Held Captive for Blood Sales

PETA Will Call On Canine Blood Bank Hemopet to Let Dogs Be Adopted Into Loving Homes in Wake of Shocking Exposé

For Immediate Release:
October 15, 2018

Contact:
Audrey Shircliff 202-483-7382

What:    On Tuesday, PETA supporters (along with some canine companions) will descend on Hemopet, a canine blood bank in Garden Grove that houses approximately 200 greyhounds—most, if not all, of whom were discarded by the racing industry—to urge the sham “rescue” facility to stop holding dogs captive for blood and to adopt them into loving homes immediately.

When:    Tuesday, October 16, 12 noon

Where:    Hemopet, 11561 Salinaz Dr. (near the intersection of Salinaz Drive and Newhope Street), Garden Grove

The protest follows the release of a damning PETA eyewitness exposé of the facility revealing that dogs there were caged in loud, cramped, stressful conditions for up to 23 hours a day. They were bled every 10 to 14 days for up to 18 months—sometimes even longer—and the frequent bleedings left many of their necks bruised and bloody.

“The greyhounds held at this nightmarish facility have been locked in tiny crates and rusty kennels, bled over and over again, and denied essential stimulation and companionship,” says PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling on Hemopet to send these traumatized, exploited dogs to loving adoptive homes, where they’ll get to enjoy being dogs at long last.”

Hemopet—a registered nonprofit organization that took in over $1 million in blood-product sales in 2016—was founded by veterinarian Jean Dodds, who once worked on an experiment in which cobra venom was injected into guinea pigs’ body cavities.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way.” For more information, please visit PETA.org.