Our Story
It's always about Fluffy!
Once upon a time there was a sweet little rescue puppy named Fluffy. Fluffy had a lot of rescue puppy problems, but he had a really unusual one - he kept having life-threatening bleeding episodes. (Photo: Larry DeLuca, EdD, MD, Fluffy, and Sharon Glass, DVM).
Fluffy had Hemophilia A
After many whole blood transfusions, tons of blood tests, trials of Vitamin K, etc., we sent Fluffy's blood off to Ithica, NY to screen for hemophilia. That was how we met the amazing Marjory Brooks. She wrote at the bottom of his test results:
"PLEASE CALL ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO DISCUSS THIS CASE."
- M. BROOKS
Growing Pains
When he was barely a year old, Fluffy had a chest bleed. He was growing, and his CRYO dosing was growing along with him! And we didn't know what to do. We were already a drain on the blood banks in the community, and we couldn't afford to buy all the CRYO he needed.
"It takes a village to raise a Fluffy." -- South Florida proverb
We realized that to get Fluffy the blood products he needed, we needed to make them ourselves! But then we had red cells left over ... and we didn't want to waste them. So Sun States Animal Blood Bank was started in 2003 (later renamed Sun States: Blood Banks for Animals).
We were the first non-profit, 501(c)(3), community donor blood bank in the US.
We did blood drives all over South Florida
Working for Sun States was always fun! Volunteer donors, volunteer staff! We ran on feel-good! As a non-profit we fueled the fees we collected from blood processing right back into making sure the blood supply was safe.
IF you need blood, go where the dogs are!
Blood drives were always fun - and challenging! At first people would pretend not to see you. Then one brave soul would come up and donate. And once that went, it was a line non-stop until the park closed at the end of the event!
About It's a Dog's Life Software LLC
Once blood draws were done, processing began!
Once blood draws were done, processing began!
Once blood draws were done, processing began!
As soon as we got back to the blood bank we got to work! Typing blood, making notes, fractionating units! So much data to keep track of!!
Our Team
Once blood draws were done, processing began!
Once blood draws were done, processing began!
How did we keep track of all the blood safely? How could we be sure units weren't expired? What if a donor failed ID testing? So many places the process could go wrong! We were a 100% volunteer workforce, and we all had other jobs!
We needed a software solution that would be robust and reliable, but also easy to use.
Our first blood banking software
Once blood draws were done, processing began!
Our first blood banking software
Larry was in med school, but he had been a software engineer before that. So we created our own database system using Microsoft Access. From the ground up it was built by VETERINARY blood bankers - for veterinary blood bankers.
Why does it matter who built it?
Veterinary blood banks have different needs!
Well, for one thing, dogs and cats don't have the same blood types as humans - or each other! Human blood banking software doesn't have DEA 1.1!"
Our labels have different information!
Human blood banks don't have to worry about mixing up dog blood and cat blood! Printing labels is a mundane task until you realize that what's on the label matters!
Our technology has to be both reliable and easy to use!
We employed the latest technology: full electronic inventory, barcode technology, and computerized monitoring to ensure the highest quality standards were met.
Our Partner sites
Ricsi Roo Publishing
Risci Roo publishing produces children's books that tell heartwarming animal stories - be it overcoming disease, finding a home, or just learning how to be a good dog!
