Regal is part of the Bedale Hunt pack and huntsman Ross Crawford was out on hound exercise when he received a call from Mile House vets asking if they could help as a dog there needed an emergency blood transfusion.

Mr Crawford knew he could and offered Regal as a blood donor.

The hound was taken to the surgery in Northallerton and sat for half an hour and let the vets take a pint of blood from him which was used on the dog on the operating table.

Mr Crawford said Regal returned to his normal routine almost instantly.

“I was conscious that he may be drowsy and a bit unsteady, but he was just fine and was bouncing about as normal on hound exercise the next day,” he said.

A foxhound typically has about three litres of blood so the half-litre taken from Regal was a considerable amount but as he is a working dog he is fit and was able to recover quickly.

Mr Crawford said: “I'm proud of Regal for stepping up to the challenge. I encourage all vets to contact their local fox hound packs in this instance. We're close to our communities and being able to help save a dog’s life that belongs to a family, is heartwarming.”

A spokesman for the British Hound Sports Association added: “Regal returned home the same day, back to the kennels in Little Fenton and was in good spirits. Mile House now know that they can call on the Bedale Hunt and their hounds, should they need blood again in an emergency.”

Foxhound saves the day after donating half a pint of blood to stricken dog