The world's oldest dog has passed away. Chanel, variously described as a wire-haired dachshund or dachshund mix, was 21 – or 147 in dog years. She died of natural causes last Friday, at her owners' home in Port Jefferson Station, a suburb of New York.
Denice and Karl Shaughnessy yesterday described Chanel as one of "God's angels" as they spoke of her penchant for wearing tinted goggles and jumpers – to combat cataracts and her aversion to the cold.
Chanel was nominated by Karl for the title of world's oldest dog after her keen-eyed owner noticed the Guinness World Records book had no record.
Officials presented the dachshund with a certificate recognising her as oldest living canine at a Manhattan bash in May. Denice said today that Chanel had loved the party, and particularly enjoyed the cake – which Denice fondly recalled as having a peanut butter flavour and had been made especially for dogs.
"Dogs are God's angels sent here to look out for us," Denice asserted, rather eerily.
But Chanel didn't survive on peanut butter dog-cake alone. She reputedly kept herself in shape with a regime of daily exercise and ate home-cooked chicken with her dog food.
But like so many in old age, Chanel had retained some vices. Denice recalled how, as a younger bitch, Chanel would steal butter from the kitchen, and was also partial to chocolate.
"She once ate an entire bag of Reese's peanut butter cups and, you see, she lived to be 21, so go figure," said Denice.
As Chanel's all-too-brief reign as the world's oldest dog comes to an end then, the search is on for the next holder of the title. An early contender is a dog called Max, currently residing in Louisiana, who is allegedly 26 years old. World record officials are investigating.
Watch this space.
