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Guinness World Records honours world’s tallest dog
World's tallest dog
"He is not just the tallest Great Dane ever, he is the tallest breed ever. He is truly exceptional."

Great Dane Zeus measured an incredible 1.12m high

The world's tallest dog has been honoured as part of the Guinness World Records 60th anniversary.

The Great Dane, named Zeus, measured a whopping 1.12m from foot to withers - about the same size as average donkey. When he stood on his hind legs he was 2.24m - towering above his owner Denise Doorlag.

The humungous hound sadly passed away in September 2014, just two months shy of his sixth birthday.  He died from natural causes after having shown symptoms of old age for some time.

Zeus weighed 70.3kg and ate around 12 cups of food a day, which is equivalent to one whole 30-lb bag of food.

Speaking before Zeus' death in September, Denise Doorlag said: "Zeus is an awesome dog. The only downside is that everything costs more; the food, medicines, transport. We had to get a van to be able to transport him, oh, and if he steps on your food - he leaves bruises!"

Dr Karl Shuker, Animal Consultant at Guinness World Records, said: "He is not just the tallest Great Dane ever, he is the tallest breed ever. He is truly exceptional."

Zeus breaks the record of previous record breaking-pooch Giant George, who is 1-inch shorter, making Zeus the tallest dog ever recorded in history. 

Image (C) Guinness World Records

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.