French toy spaniel believed to be world’s oldest dog dies at 30
A French toy spaniel named Lazare, believed to have been the world’s oldest dog, has died at the age of 30, according to his owner.
Lazare died on Thursday, his carer Ophélie Boudol said on Friday.
Although the dog was widely believed to hold the longevity record, Guinness World Records told AFP it could not officially confirm the title because it had not received an application or supporting evidence before Lazare’s death.
Boudol said she was shocked when she first discovered the dog’s age after adopting him.
“One of the volunteers looked up his exact breed,” she said. “That’s when I saw his date of birth, 1995. I was astonished, and even now I still say to myself, ‘How is that possible?’”
Despite his age, Boudol described Lazare as affectionate and energetic.
“We know that from one day to the next he could pass away, because at 30 years old it’s still quite remarkable,” she said. “But he really had such a lovable personality. He was very cuddly despite his age, and quite lively as well.”
Animal welfare officer Anne-Sophie Moyon from the Annecy Marlioz SPA described Lazare’s case as extraordinary.
“We had obviously never seen 30-year-old dogs before,” Moyon said. “If we’ve seen 20-year-old dogs, that’s already remarkable.”
She said staff at the shelter were stunned when they were contacted about a dog believed to be three decades old.
The average lifespan of a papillon or toy spaniel is usually between 12 and 16 years.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
