Zeus, World's Tallest Dog, Dies at Age 5

It’s going to be a tall order to replace the Doorlags' dog, if that's even possible. The Otsego, Mich., family is mourning Zeus, their beloved Great Dane, who died last week at the age of 5, the AP reports. The colossal canine—who simply died of old age, owner Kevin Doorlag tells the Kalamazoo Gazette—stood 44 inches at the shoulder and would rise to 7 feet, 4 inches when he perched on his hind legs, earning him a Guinness World Record as the world's tallest dog ever.

Although the 165-pound pooch could scarf down a 30-pound bag of dog food every two weeks, the Battle Creek Enquirer reports, he was really just a big pussycat, Doorlag says. He achieved worldwide fame because of his stature, but Zeus was a local boy at heart, making frequent visits to Kalamazoo-area schools and hospitals in his role as a therapy dog, the Gazette notes. "Those are some of the things I'll never forget about him," Doorlag says. "He was definitely a great dog. We'll really miss him.” (Check out more fascinating Guinness World Records.)