A Great Dane who found international fame when he was named the tallest living male dog in the world has died at the age of eight.
Gentle giant Freddy, who stood at over 7ft tall on his back legs, became a superstar when he landed the gong from Guinness World Records in 2016.
The beloved pet, who was the runt of the litter when he was born before growing to his massive size, spent his life with owner Claire Stoneman from Essex.
She said of the 15-stone animal: ‘He was not just the tallest dog but the dog with the most love and the biggest heart.
He was my life. My reason. My joy. My annoyance. My happiness and my ultimate sadness. He was my heart Dane. My one in a million and loved by the entire world.’
‘As a puppy, he was the runt of the litter. I actually got him a couple of weeks earlier than I should have, as he wasn’t feeding off [his] mum.I had no idea he was going to get this big at all.’
Last year she arranged a party complete with bunting, balloons and cakes in the garden of her home for her pet to celebrate his birthday.
Freddy was officially measured at 3 ft 4in as Guinness World Records does not measure dogs on their hind legs.
‘I still can barely believe that he was the runt of the litter. Freddy brought a smile to everyone’s face and will be missed by everyone at Guinness World Records. ‘I’m just pleased that we got the chance to celebrate his record-breaking immensity in the books and share his story with millions of people around the world.
‘RIP, Freddy.’
The Guinness World Records title holder for tallest dog ever was Zeus from Otsego, Michigan, USA who measured 3ft 6ins in 2011.