Dogs give serum to fight tick poison Boy the Beagle and Donna the Alsation are helping to save many other dogs from death by tick poison. Because they are immune to the poison, a serum from their blood will be used to treat dogs suffering from tick bite. Since they were pups, Boy and Donna have lived in tick-infested country at Cronulla. When they were bitten by ticks, they lost appetite and suffered a paralysis which made them stagger. Their bark became shrill. Unlike most dogs they survived, gradually built up immunity to tick-bite. Now they can carry as many as 20 ticks without ill-effects. Lent to surgeon - Their poultry-farmer owner lent them during the week to North Sydney veterinary surgeon Rowland Pursell. From the blood of Boy and Donna, Pursell gets an anti-tick serum. One bleeding provides enough to treat 10 dogs. November 6, 1947.