Viry-le-Peru, France – A French Toy Spaniel named Lazar, previously believed to be the “world’s oldest dog,” has passed away at the age of 30, as reported by his caregivers on Friday.
AFP reached out to Guinness World Records to determine if Lazar held the record before his death on Thursday but has yet to receive a reply.
Lazar, a Papillon dwarf spaniel characterized by his distinct “butterfly” ears, was born on December 4, 1995, according to animal welfare advocate Anne-Sophie Moyon.
He spent the majority of his life with one companion until her passing, after which he was placed in a charity shelter.
Ophelie Boodle, a 29-year-old single mother, met Lazar last month at the shelter and quickly formed a bond with him, even though he was a year older than her.
Originally planning to adopt a pet for her mother, she unexpectedly decided to bring Lazar home to live with her nine-year-old son and two cats.
“He was found next to his owner’s body,” Boodle shared about Lazar’s past.
“I spent about 30 minutes just sitting next to him, and I thought, ‘If no one else wants him, that’s okay, as long as he gets along with my cats,'” she recounted.
Lazar, affectionately dubbed “our little grandpa baby” by Boodle, unfortunately passed away just weeks later.
“Last night he started slipping in my arms,” she said with a heavy heart.
“He was leaving to be reunited with his first caregiver.”
At the time of his passing, Lazar was 30 years and 5 months old, relied on diapers, had lost his eyesight, and mostly slept throughout the day.
Nevertheless, Boodle mentioned that he remained cheerful despite his condition.
“He has such a lovely personality,” she noted earlier this week while holding him close at her home in Viry-le-Peru.
When Moyeon and their team discovered Lazar’s age, they speculated, “Lazar might actually be the oldest dog in the world.” They confirmed his date of birth through two registries and, somewhat as a joke, completed the paperwork to register him for the record.
According to the Guinness World Records website, a Portuguese dog named Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo, was reported to have died in 2023 at 31 years of age, making him a candidate for the oldest dog ever.
However, an investigation in 2024 concluded that there wasn’t enough conclusive evidence to verify Bobi’s age.
