Zeus, world’s tallest dog, dead at 3 after cancer battle: ‘He brought us so much joy’

All dogs go to heaven, and now Zeus, once the world’s tallest dog, has crossed the rainbow bridge.

“Sadly, Zeus passed away on September 12,” Guinness Word Records confirmed to The Post in a statement.

He was 3 years old.

The Great Dane died early Tuesday morning from complications after being treated for bone cancer.

He passed away with his head in his “loving owner Brittany’s lap,” Donnie Davis wrote of his daughter in a statement on the Guinness World Records website.

“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,” Brittany Davis, from Bedford, Texas, said in the same statement.

“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 and Fort Worth. Zeus packed a lot of life into three short years and was primed to beat cancer’s butt,” Brittany added.

The 3-foot-5-inch-tall dog — who stood over 7 feet on his hind legs — had a leg amputated to treat the cancer earlier this month. 

“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,” said Davis.

“We would also like to thank everyone who has reached out to us with their condolences. It means a lot to us during this difficult time.”

After Zeus was diagnosed with bone cancer, Davis set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for his treatment. She raised $12,239 of her $20,000 goal.

Davis told WFAA at the time of Zeus’ surgery that she considered him her “dog child.”

“He just grew and grew,” she said of Zeus, who won the tallest dog title last year. Davis said Zeus was given to her as a gift, and she contacted Guinness World Records when he sprouted in size.

“When he actually won, it was pretty shocking,” Davis said of the title.

“He’s part of our family.”

With great size comes mountainous food portions. 

Zeus ate 12 cups of food a day with the occasional fried egg for a snack. Davis called Zeus a “laid-back” dog who drew the attention of many admirers who would stop and ask Davis if they could ride him like a horse. She would tell them no, and added that Zeus was strong-minded and didn’t do anything he didn’t want to do. He also had a mischievous side and would drink water from the kitchen sink and steal food off the counters. Zeus would have turned 4 in November.

Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, gave the following statement on the dog’s passing: “Zeus always brought a smile to our faces — he was such a larger-than-life character and spread joy wherever he went. That’s why it was so sad to hear that he was unwell, and now we’re heartbroken to learn of his untimely passing. I just hope that his family look back over his star appearance in the GWR books with fond memories — a fitting tribute to a very special pet.”

Zeus was larger than life and significantly bigger than the average Great Dane. According to the American Kennel Club, Great Danes generally only stand as tall as 32 inches, or 2.6 feet, at the shoulder. They tend to live to between 7 and 10 years old.

Coincidentally, the former Guinness World Record-winning Great Dane was also named Zeus. He died at the age of 5 in 2014.