Lazarusthe French breed dog butterfly spaniel or considered papillon «the oldest dog in the world»died at the age of 30, according to his owner in a Facebook post.
«You decided to take your flight in my arms, the night of May 14to reunite with your owner, who loved you so much and cared for you all these years,» he wrote Ophélie Boudol along with a video of the pet.
After the death of his owner, Lazare remained for 10 days in the care of SPA Annecy Marlioz, an animal protection organization that sought to certify the French epagneul with a Guinness record.
«We checked it twice. There is no doubt. Lazare is 30 years old,» he said. Anne-Sophie Moyondirector of the animal shelter, in an interview with the British media The Times.
SPA Annecy Marlioz assured that she verified the age of the papillon using a microchip and the French Book of Origins (LOF)the official studbook created in 1885 by the Société Centrale Canine (SCC) to register purebred dogs in France.
However, the organizers of the Guinness World Records they indicated to AFP that they had not received «any registration form or associated evidence» prior to Lazare’s death, and therefore could not confirm whether he was the record holder.
The moving farewell to Lazare, the dog that could have been a Guinness record
According to the animal shelter, Lazare was born on December 4, 1995. Boudol adopted him on April 16, 2026 and welcomed him into his home in the town in southeastern France, Villy-le-Pelloux. «In just one month, you changed our lives completely. We loved you with all our hearts, we pampered you, we snuggled you, we gave you caresses,» he wrote.
Due to his advanced age, Lazare suffered from arthritis, had vision problems, was deaf and had the hanging tongue syndromeo lingual protrusiona common condition in brachycephalic breeds, where the tongue remains constantly out of the mouth due to the inability to retract it.
«We try to offer you the end of life that every animal deserves to have: a home full of love, tenderness and presence (…) You were our little babywith your sweet look, your need for pampering, your curiosity, your affectionate character and still so lively despite your advanced age,» said Boudol.
To date, Blueyan Australian cattle breeder—blue heeler—who lived 29 years and five months between 1910 and 1939, is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest dog in the world.
For a brief period of time, the record was disputed by Bobia Portuguese mastiff who was born on May 11, 1992 and lived 30 years and 165 days, until October 21, 2023, the date of his death.
However, Guinness World Records withdrew its certification after an investigation due to doubts surrounding his true date of birth. In the absence of evidence to verify his age, he was stripped of his title, which returned to Bluey.
