A plan to establish a dog blood bank in Danville, Kansas, has been shelved following the Harper County Commission’s decision. They declined a proposed zoning change necessary for the blood bank to be set up in this small town.
Discussions around the blood bank had been ongoing, and the topic of rezoning the property was brought to the county commission for a vote last week. Although the zoning committee suggested approving the amendment, the commission ultimately voted against it on Monday.
The proposed facility was intended to accommodate numerous dogs from which blood would be drawn regularly and sold, particularly to veterinary clinics.
While there was controversy surrounding the ethics of such an operation, with opposition from groups like PETA, many Danville residents expressed ambivalence towards the project.
“I’m assuming they had good reasons for turning it down. This area is known for agriculture and livestock. While I see dogs differently, the main question is whether it’s humane or not,” said Rob Anderson, a Danville local.
Anderson lives just up the road from the site. He says he and his wife walk past the property almost daily.
“If my dog needed a transfusion, I’d want it to receive one since they’re family to us. But not if it involves other animals being kept in poor conditions,” he noted. “Just as humans donate blood, dogs should as well.”
Anderson says as long as he knew the dogs were fed, exercised and had a decent quality of life, he wouldn’t have been opposed to the blood bank.
That blood bank was already partially completed, with fences and kennels set up at the property owner’s home. Now that the zoning change was denied, it is unclear exactly what will happen to that equipment.
There are two dog blood banks in Kansas, but none in southern Kansas. One is at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Manhattan, and another is at VCA Central Kansas Animal Hospital in South Hutchinson.
County commissioners have not provided additional details as to why they rejected the project and refused an on-camera interview after the commission meeting. KSN was instead referred to a statement that the county is working on. KSN will add said statement to this article once we receive it.
