Meet Sharwood, our incredible blood donor dog who has become the first in the UK to reach 40 donations. Sharwood’s 40th milestone also saw him retire as a donor as he will soon turn 8, the maximum age limit for dog blood donors, seeing him leave behind a legacy that has helped to save the lives of up to 160 other dogs! We are one very proud charity right now.
Gordon Setter Sharwood has been loyally attending blood donation sessions since 2017, with the help of his dedicated owner Sue Mitchell. He made his 40th and final blood donation at Northampton Vets4Pets on Saturday 13 July, securing his crown as the first dog to ever reach this milestone. His 40th donation brings the total weight of blood he has donated to an astounding 22.5kg!
Sharwood comes from a long line of dog blood donors with fellow family members Garner, Baxter, and Brinjal having also contributed many donations over the years. Collectively, Sue’s dogs have donated over 97 units of blood since the family’s first donor Garner joined the pack in 2015, enough to have helped save the lives of up to 388 other dogs. All this blood is processed and stored at our base in Loughborough, ready to be sent out to vets when they need it for a critically ill dog.
Dachshund Sizzle is one dog who received a unit of Sharwood’s blood. Sizzle suffers from haemophilia so has been reliant on lifesaving blood products for his whole life.
‘No words can express the relief an owner feels being told there are vital blood products available’, Sizzle’s owner Emma Gray explained. ‘It truly humbles me that owners and their wonderful dogs give up their time to attend donation sessions. Without Sharwood and his lovely owner Sue, our dog Sizzle would simply not be here today. A massive heartfelt thank you to Sharwood and Sue and congratulations on this incredible achievement.’
There are many other owners like Emma across the country whose beloved pets are here today thanks to the commitment and passion of Sue and her lifesaving dogs, plus the thousands of other owners and dogs who support our charity.
Sue commented, ‘As the owner of Sharwood, I am immensely proud of him reaching this incredible achievement. His first donation was in 2017 and he has successfully donated on every visit since then! He will now hand over the reins to his son, Brinjal, who has already donated 12 units. Sharwood is the third of my dogs who has regularly donated to this wonderful charity. I am so proud of them for all the lives they have helped to save.’
‘Canine blood donors and their owners are the hidden helpers of the veterinary world,’ said Pet Blood Bank’s Marketing Manager Nicole Osborne. ‘Their donations help to ensure that lifesaving blood is always available for any vet that needs it, and Sharwood has gone above and beyond in his contributions to this cause. We are unbelievably proud of him and Sue for reaching 40 donations. The blood Sharwood has given over the years is enough to have helped up to 160 other dogs, which is an outstanding achievement for a single dog. His siblings are sure to be chuffed for him!’
With Sharwood off to enjoy his well-earned retirement, we need more dogs to come forward as lifesaving donors. To be a donor, dogs need to be between 1 and 8 years old, weigh more than 25kg, and be fit, healthy, and confident.
Dogs receive a health check from our vet before lying on their side while donating approximately 450ml of blood. They are showered in treats, fuss and attention from our team and get a goody bag and toy to take home.
Find out more about how your dog can follow in Sharwood’s pawprints
