A French toy spaniel named Lazare has died aged 30, his carer said. Lazare, described as a Papillon (Continental Toy Spaniel dwarf spaniel) with “butterfly” ears, was believed to be a contender for the title of the world’s oldest dog after his age was discovered by animal charity workers in Villy-le-Pelloux in eastern France. According to reports citing the animal charity worker Anne-Sophie Moyon, Lazare was born on December 4, 1995. Sources say he spent most of his life with a single companion until that carer died, after which he ended up at the charity’s shelter. A 29-year-old woman, Ophelie Boudol, adopted Lazare last month for her mother, but brought him home with her nine-year-old son and two cats. She told AFP he died just weeks later, and said he appeared to be slipping away in her arms. AFP also contacted Guinness World Records to check whether Lazare had held the record, but did not receive an immediate response. Reports note that a Portuguese dog, Bobi, was previously thought to be the oldest, but Guinness later found insufficient conclusive evidence of his age in a 2024 review.