Drew and Sadie Williams thought their puppy Zoey would grow into her tongue.
Instead, it grew with her, to the point that Guinness World Records proclaimed the Metairie couple's 3-year-old Labrador retriever-German shepherd mix as having the longest tongue of any living dog: 5 inches from nose tip to tongue tip. The previous Guinness record, about 3¾ inches, was held by an English setter in Tucson, Arizona.
"We really didn't think it was going to go anywhere," Drew Williams said. "It was kind of 'just apply and see where it goes.'"
Guinness informed the couple of the pooch's status in March, and followed up with a package of dog treats. It arrived last month, around the time of Zoey's birthday, May 11, Drew Williams said. The dog was showered with goodies.
"She's a spoiled pup," he said.
Drew Williams said Zoey loves playing fetch and chasing squirrels. She is lively, smart, full of tricks and endurance.
"You can throw the tennis ball 1,000 times, and she's ready to go 1,001," he said.
Drew Williams plays fetch with Zoey, a 3-year-old her Labrador and German shepherd mix, who was recently awarded a Guinness World Record for having the longest tongue among living Canis lupus familiaris. From the tip of her nose, Zoey's tongue measures 12.7 centimeters (5 inches), longer than a can of Coke, according to Guinness World Records. Zoey, photographed Sunday, June 4, 2023, at a camp in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, lives in Metairie with Drew and Sadie Williams. (Photo by Scott Threlkeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Zoey's tongue looks especially long after playing, when she pants to catch her breath, and when yawning.
"I'll have a fun fact for the rest of time for whenever you're in one of those group icebreakers," he said.
