Sharwood the dog is a life saver… no, literally. The Gordon Setter has saved the lives of hundreds of dogs through his blood donations. With the help of his loving and proud owner Sue Mitchell (UK), he earned the world record for most times to give blood by a dog. By July 2024, he’d given blood to charity Pet Blood Bank UK 40 times – and he’s done it twice more since then! Sue said: “So many people don’t know that dogs can donate blood, maybe three in 50 people that I meet might have heard about it.” Eight-year-old Sharwood isn’t the only blood donor in the family. Sue shares two other Gordon Setters with her husband Chris, and they all regularly donate.
Sharwood’s son Brinjal, three, has donated 16 times, and buddy Baxter, 11, gave blood 33 times before retiring. Baxter’s dad Garner, who is sadly no longer with us, was also a donor who gave 15 times. mGrandparents-of-two Sue and Chris have had Gordon Setters – as many as five at a time – since 1979, with their first coming into their lives just before their son was born. “That was the start of our love affair with the breed,” Sue said. “We just fell in love with them.” She added of her beloved pets: “I’m just so proud that they are all so good at giving blood. They’ve saved over 400 dogs because each pint can save up to four dogs. There are rules about which dogs can donate blood, they have to be between certain ages and over a certain weight, and of course, they have to be fit and healthy. And that’s one of the bonuses, according to Sue, as her pups get regular health checks from vets.
Her dogs, who are also pet therapy dogs who visit residential homes, are all so relaxed while giving blood. Sharwood even wags his tail and often falls asleep and starts snoring. “He’s so laid back it’s unbelievable,” Sue laughed. Speaking about the process, she explained: “People are always really surprised when you tell them about it. “You arrive with a very warm welcome, you go in and see a vet and the dog is health checked – that’s an added bonus. Then bloods are taken to make sure it’s suitable. “If your dog is ill you might not know until they start to show signs, but by giving blood they’re getting regular health checks. “They can go about every 10 weeks and I’m lucky, I have about five or six venues I can get to easily.” After donating, dogs are showered with love and affection and given toys and treats. They need to rest and drink plenty of water afterwards to recuperate and regenerate their blood. Sue said the importance of her dogs donating their blood really hit home a few weeks ago when one of them had a medical emergency. She told us: “My older dog had a haemorrhage from his nose, we couldn’t stop the bleeding and he had to be rushed in. He wasn’t far off having a transfusion. Sharwood’s record amount of blood donations have also seen him nominated for the Kennel Club Hero Dog Award at Crufts.
Sharwood is seen donating blood in a nomination video created for the 2025 awards.The emotional video also introduces Sizzle, a dachshund whose life was saved with blood Sharwood had donated. The sausage dog has two different blood clotting disorders which have left him needing blood transfusions.
His owner Emma Gray said: “He’s had several transfusions from Sharwood and other dogs and without them, he wouldn’t be here today. “I mean, it’s literally life-changing for us, and dogs like Sharwood and his owner Sue are amazing.” Sue said: “I’m so proud of him. I know he can’t get there on his own and I have to take him but at the end of the day he could make it clear if he didn’t want to do it. “You can see his tail wagging while he’s on the table.”
Find out more about whether or not your dog could become a blood donor here.
