OTSEGO, MI — Zeus, the Otsego, MI, Great Dane who was the world's tallest dog, has died at age 5.

Zeus' owner, Kevin Doorlag, said Zeus died last week of symptoms of old age. Zeus would have celebrated his sixth birthday in November, Doorlag said.

Zeus stood 44 inches at the shoulder, 7 feet, 4 inches on his hind legs when he was unveiled in the Guinness World Record's 2012 edition as the world's tallest living dog and the tallest dog ever, a title he still holds, Doorlag said.

Doorlag is remembering Zeus as a "wonderful dog." He said he and his wife, Denise, will especially miss letting Zeus sit on their laps while the family would grill on their deck.

"We'll really miss him," Doorlag said.

In addition to his international fame, Zeus was well known throughout the Kalamazoo area due to frequent trips to area schools and hospitals, where he served as a therapy dog.

Doorlag said seeing the joy Zeus brought to others will be another one of the things he misses most about his late pet.

"Those are some of the things I'll never forget about him," Doorlag said. "He was definitely a great dog."

Alex Mitchell covers county government and taxes for the Kalamazoo Gazette. Email him at amitche5@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.