A surrendered dog who may be the oldest pooch in the world found his new forever home in France after he outlived his original owner.
Lazare, a 31-year-old continental toy spaniel, was remanded to the Annecy Marlioz Spa animal refuge when his owner passed away.
Lazare, whose name translates to “God aids,” is a curmudgeonly but well-meaning elder pup. The animal refuge knew he was up there in years, but wanted to figure out just how old their new guest was, The Times reported.
The dog already had a wealth of health issues, including an inability to fit his floppy tongue in his mouth, that suggested he was near or beyond his breed’s 15-year life expectancy.
Lazare’s microchip was linked to the French pedigree dog register. There, they traced his birth date back to Dec 4, 1995 — making him approximately 31 years and 150 days old.
After the shocking revelation, the Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA) — France’s Society for the Protection of Animals — reached out to the Guinness Book of World Records.
“We have done a double check. There can be no doubt. Lazare is in his 31st year,” Anne-Sophie Moyon, the head of the refuge, told The Times.
If all goes well, Lazare should be awarded the title of the world’s oldest dog, beating out the current record-holder.
An Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who passed away at age 29 in 1939, is the current champion.
Lazare’s new owner, 29-year-old Ophélie Boudol, doesn’t particularly care about her pooch’s impending renown.
“I adopted him because I love animals and there was an instant bond between us. It was unthinkable for me that he should end his life at the Spa. He needed a loving family,” she told TF1, the French television channel.
Boudol said that when Lazare isn’t sleeping, he follows her all around her apartment. She added that her veterinarian assured her that Lazare is in good health in spite of his age.
A Portuguese livestock guardian dog named Bobi was the reigning oldest dog for all of two years after narrowly beating Bluey — but the title was revoked following an investigation into evidence of his age.
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