Freddy the Great Dane, who held the record for tallest dog living (male), has sadly passed away. He was 8 and a half years old.
The gentle giant was a much adored and pampered pet who became an international superstar when his record was announced in 2016.
When measured by a vet and Guinness World Records’ Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday, Freddy was a towering 103.5 cm (3 ft 4 in) from foot to withers.
Standing on his hind legs - not a measurement that GWR officially counts - his height was an imposing 226 cm (7 ft 5.5 in).
Freddy's owner Claire Stoneman from Essex, UK, was devastated at her beloved pet's passing: "He was not just the tallest dog but the dog with the most love and the biggest heart. A total soppy bugger who was hand fed.
"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."
Recalling his arrival in her life when the record was first confirmed, Claire told Guinness World Records: "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."
Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief recalls: "Freddy was such a gentle giant, and it was always a pleasure to see him bounding towards you. Measuring this mountain of a dog was an unforgettable - if challenging! - experience and I'll always treasure the couple of occasions I got to share a sofa with him - there was just about enough room for the two of us!
"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 every 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 team spent a number of days documenting Freddy and capturing photographs of him and Claire at their home in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex.
Freddy was initially suspicious of the vet's tape measure, and measuring the skittish giant took longer than anticipated, but he calmed down eventually and his 103.5-cm height was registered officially for the record books.
Freddy's story immediately caught the public's imagination, and he proved to be a big hit all around the world, with the incredible photographs instantly appearing in social-media feeds and newspapers across the planet.
"I can't stop crying," said Claire when she broke the news of Freddy's passing. "He was my life."
The Guinness World Records title holder for tallest dog ever was Zeus from Otsego, Michigan, USA who measured 111.8 cm (44 in) from foot to withers in 2011.
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