Kevin, deemed the World's tallest male dog by the Guinness World Records, has passed away within days of earning the title.
Knewz.com has learned that the record-breaking Great Dane could stretch to 7ft on his hind legs.
The three-year-old Great Dane from Des Moines, Iowa, was awarded the title on June 13, per the official Guinness World Records website.
"The Great Dane has claimed the record title after measuring in at 0.97 m (3 ft 2 in) from his feet to his withers. That’s the average height of a three-year-old child," the organization wrote in the announcement.
In comparison, an average Great Dane is around 0.76 m (2 ft 6 in) to the withers.
However, Guinness announced on Monday, June 24, merely days after he broke the record, that the "gentle giant" had passed away following an unplanned surgery after he fell sick.
"Our whole family is devastated about Kevin. He was just the best giant boy," said Tracy Wolfe, Kevin's owner. "We are so glad that he was able to break the record and have that light on him. He absolutely adored the attention."
"I wish these giant breeds, and all dogs, could live longer than they do. It’s never enough time," Wolfe added.
The owners of the world's tallest dog mentioned that he got his name, Kevin, from the protagonist of the American comedy film Home Alone. The family also mentioned that the dog, who could stretch to 7ft on his hind legs, was a bit of a "scaredy cat" as he was terrified of the vacuum cleaner.
"Kevin’s favorite activity is probably taking naps. Holding the couch down is his favorite pastime, I think," Wolfe told the Guinness World Records. "Kevin is funny and he is super duper friendly. In fact, overly friendly. You don’t want to keep your mouth open too much when he’s around."
"But everybody loves seeing him as long as they don’t get whipped by his tail."
Guinness noted the grief of the organization as a whole regarding Kevin's passing in the tribute article and wrote, "We’re sad his stint as a record breaker has been cut short in such a tragic way."
A spokesperson from the organization said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened to learn that Kevin suddenly passed away after unexpected health complications... Tracy and the team at the vet clinic she works in did everything they could to save Kevin after he became ill. Our thoughts and support are with the Wolfe family as they navigate this difficult time."
Kevin inherited the title of the World's Tallest Dog from another Great Dane named Zeus, who passed away in 2023 after earning the record just a year prior.
The Great Dane from Bedford, Texas, earned the record title in 2022 after measuring in at 1.046 m (3 ft 5.18 in) tall.
Following a bone cancer diagnosis, Zeus had to have his front leg amputated in 2023. However, he developed pneumonia after the operation and passed away in "his mom's lap" on September 12, 2023.
Notably, Zeus was also three years old at the time of his passing and would have been four in November.
Brittany Davis, Zeus' "mom," told Guinness at the time, "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved dog, Zeus, the Guinness World Records title holder for the tallest living male dog. Zeus died Tuesday morning of amputation-related pneumonia."
"Zeus died with his head in his mom’s lap getting ear scratches and kisses until the very end. He was three-and-a-half years old."
"Zeus was a truly special dog. He was gentle, loving, very stubborn but always happy to see his family and many, many friends on his adventures around Dallas & Fort Worth. Zeus packed a lot of life into three short years and was primed to beat cancer’s butt," she added.
"We are so grateful for the time we had with Zeus. He brought us so much joy and happiness to so many people. He will be deeply missed by our entire family. We are so thankful for the amazing team of humans who have been with us through this. Zeus had the absolute best doctors and nurses working around the clock to help him, but in the end, he was just too sick."