World's Tallest Dog, Giant George, Has Died

By
Melissa Breyer
Melissa Breyer
Melissa Breyer
Editorial Director
  • Hunter College
  • F.I.T., State University of New York
  • Cornell University
Melissa Breyer is Treehugger’s editorial director. She is a sustainability expert and author whose work has been published by the New York Times and National Geographic, among others.
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Updated June 5, 2017 12:19PM EDT
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The world's tallest dog named George a Great Dane.

John Lamparski / Contributor / Getty Images

Born the runt of his litter and afraid of being left alone, the world's tallest dog, George, died last week, just one month shy of his eighth birthday.

At 43 inches, the 245-pound Great Dane became a media star when Guinness World Records named him the world's tallest dog in 2010. George appeared on "Oprah," the "Today" show and "Good Morning America" and was the muse behind the book "Giant George: Life With the World's Biggest Dog," written by his caretaker, Dave Nasser.

In honor of the gentle giant, the “Giant George” team is asking fans and animal lovers to make donations to or volunteer at their favorite animal organization on Nov. 17, which would have been the colossal canine's eighth birthday.