14 DAY TRIAL // This past Thursday, it was announced that, just last week, the world's tallest dog, a Great Dane by the name of Zeus, passed away in his home in the city of Otsego in Michigan, US. The pooch died at the age of 5, just before he was supposed to celebrate another birthday.
Owners Kevin Doorlag and wife Denise were left devastated by Zeus' passing. They say that they will forever remember him as a gentle giant and a wonderful dog. “We'll really miss him,” Kevin told the press in an interview.
The world's tallest dog
Zeus officially became the world's tallest dog back in 2012, when folks with Guinness World Records included him in the book's 2012 edition. He was so big that, to most kids, he looked almost like a horse.
The pooch, a photo of which is available next to this article, is said to have measured about 44 inches (approximately 1.11 meters) in height at the shoulders. He was 1 inch (0.02 meters) taller than the previous record holder, another Great Dane named Giant George.
When standing on his hind legs, the Great Dane towered over his owners at a height of 7 feet and 4 inches (roughly 2.23 meters). Despite his impressive size, he was very friendly and, whenever meeting strangers, wanted nothing more than to play with them.
What's more, the pooch liked to sit on his owners' lap, and even worked as a therapy dog. Thus, he often visited local schools and hospitals, looking to bring a smile on people's faces. The people who got to meet him and were helped by him will likely miss him as well.
“We would frequently get: 'Hey do you have a saddle for that horse?' or 'Is that a dog or is that a pony?' It was very amusing. Those are some of the things I'll never forget about him. He was definitely a great dog,” owner Kevin said in a statement, as cited by Daily Mail.
Not at all surprisingly, Zeus had quite an appetite. In a nutshell, his owners say that he would finish a 30-pound (13.6-kilogram) bag of dog food in about 2 weeks, and was not one to say no to a tasty treat whenever opportunity presented itself. Hence, he tipped the scale at 155 pounds (about 70 kilograms).
Cause of death
Unfortunately, it is not yet clear how and why Zeus passed away. All things considered, it is possible that his size had a say in the matter. Thus, it could be that, being so big, he was more vulnerable to various medical complications.
The world's previous record holder, Giant George, is also dead. He passed away towards the end of 2013 in his home in Arizona, US, just a month before turning 8. Giant George stood 39 1/8 inches (99 centimeters) tall, and weighed 245 pounds (roughly 111 kilograms).