California Animal Blood Banks Program
As a result of increased specialization in veterinary medicine, the demand for animal blood products has risen dramatically. A safe and adequate supply of blood and blood component products for transfusion is vital to animal health. Commercial blood banks for animals produce and sell blood and blood component products, increasing the supply available for transfusions. The CDFA Animal Blood Banks program defines current standards of care and practice for veterinary blood banks and works to ensure that animal blood and blood component products sold in California are efficacious and safe.
Historically, California required commercial blood banks for animals to be closed-colony establishments. On January 1, 2022, Assembly Bill 1282, the California Pet Blood Bank Modernization Act, went into effect. This law aims to address the shortage of animal blood available for veterinary transfusion medicine in California and transition the state from closed-colony blood banks to community blood banks.
California Food and Agricultural Code (FAC) Division 5, Chapter 1.5 (Commercial Blood Banks for Animals and Biologics) and California Business and Professions Code (BPC) Division 2, Chapter 11, Article 7 (Community Blood Banks for Animals) are the State’s legal authority for enforcing state law and regulations pertinent to animal blood banks.
Announcements
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September 5, 2025: The California Department of Food and Agriculture (the Department) proposes to adopt Section 1308 under Article 6 of Chapter 8, Division 2, Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, to specify penalty schedules for any person found to be in violation of specified statutes and regulations related to animal blood banking, following an investigation and consideration of the facts presented in each case. The Department also proposes to amend Section 839 of Article 14 of Chapter 2 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, to remove previously created animal blood bank penalties from this section and place them in newly created Section 1308. The written public comment period begins September 5, 2025 and ends on October 20, 2025.
Included below for your reference are the Notice of Proposed Action (Notice), Initial Statement of Reasons, and proposed regulatory text shown in strikeout and underline format. Any interested person, or his or her duly authorized representative, may submit written comments relevant to the proposed regulatory action to the Department according to the instructions contained in the Notice.
March 10, 2024: The Department of Food and Agriculture, Animal Blood Banks Program, hereby adopts new Chapter 8 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations relating to animal blood banks and animal blood products. These regulations were filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California on March 10, 2025. This regulatory action becomes effective on July 1, 2025.
- Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (AVHTM)
- Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies
- Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies - Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services
- Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies - Technical Manual
- Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine GFI #254 Donor Eligibility for Animal Cells, Tissues, and Cell- and Tissue-Based Products
- Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine GFI #218 Cell-Based Products for Animal Use
- California Veterinary Medical Board
- California Veterinary Medical Association Blood Banking Information
- Abrams-Ogg, A.C.G. and Blois, S.L. (2022). Principles of Canine and Feline Blood Collection, Processing, and Storage. In Schalm's Veterinary Hematology (eds M.B. Brooks, K.E. Harr, D.M. Seelig, K.J. Wardrop and D.J. Weiss)
- Yagi K, Holowaychuk MK. Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking. Ames, IA: Wiley Blackwell; 2016.
- Wardrop KJ, Birkenheuer A, Blais MC, et al. Update on Canine and Feline Blood Donor Screening for Blood-Borne Pathogens. J Vet Intern Med. 2016;30(1):15-35. doi:10.1111/jvim.13823
- Taylor S, Spada E, Callan MB, et al. 2021 ISFM Consensus Guidelines on the Collection and Administration of Blood and Blood Products in Cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2021;23(5):410-432. doi:10.1177/1098612X211007071
- Davidow EB, Blois SL, Goy-Thollot I, et al. Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (AVHTM) Transfusion Reaction Small Animal Consensus Statement (TRACS). Part 1: Definitions and clinical signs. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2021;31(2):141-166. doi:10.1111/vec.13044
- Davidow EB, Blois SL, Goy-Thollot I, et al. Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (AVHTM) Transfusion Reaction Small Animal Consensus Statement (TRACS) Part 2: Prevention and monitoring. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2021;31(2):167-188. doi:10.1111/vec.13045
- Odunayo A, Nash KJ, Davidow EB, et al. Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (AVHTM) transfusion reaction small animal consensus statement (TRACS). Part 3: Diagnosis and treatment. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2021;31(2):189-203. doi:10.1111/vec.13043
Links
Contact Information
The Animal Blood Banks program can be mailed at:
CDFA Animal Health and Food Safety Services
Attn: Dr. Sean Brady
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Submit electronic correspondence to CDFAbloodbanks@cdfa.ca.gov