A two-year-old female chihuahua has been named the world’s shortest living dog by Guinness World Records.
Measuring at 3.59 inches tall and just five inches in length, Pearl is shorter than a popsicle stick and around the same size as a dollar bill, according to the Guinness World Records. When the chihuahua was born in September 2020 at Crystal Creek Animal Hospital in Orlando, Florida, she weighed less than an ounce at birth.
It appears that Pearl’s newfound title runs in the family; she is related to the previous record holder of world’s shortest living dog. Miracle Milly, who measured 3.8 inches in height, passed away in 2020 before Pearl was born.
“We’re blessed to have her,” Vanesa Semler, Pearl’s owner, told Guinness World Records. “And to have this unique opportunity to break our own record and share with the world this amazing news.”
Pearl qualified for the record of world’s shortest living dog when she was measured by a veterinarian at Crystal Creek animal hospital using a dog measuring wicket to determine her height.
While Pearl weighed less than an ounce when she was born, the tiny chihuahua has since gone up to 1.22lbs due to her diet of “high-quality food” like chicken and salmon. Despite being over two years old, Semler said pocket-sized Pearl is “small like a ball” and still “a child at heart”.
She made her record-breaking debut when she was presented on the set of Guinness World Records’ televised talent show in Milan, Italy. While chihuahuas are known for their pesky temperament, Pearl remained calm when met with applause from the audience. She was carried onto the stage by Semler in an Easter egg-shaped basket, where her owner told TV host Gerry Scotti that Pearl is “a bit of a diva.”
On Wednesday, actor Demi Moore reacted to Pearl’s title of shortest living dog by posting a picture of her own tiny pooch to Instagram. The Ghost star shared photos of her chihuahua, Pilaf, measured with a $100 bill. In the caption, she let her followers know that she thinks Pilaf could challenge Pearl for the world-breaking record.
“@guinnessworldrecords just announced the World’s Shortest Dog today. I don’t know about you but I think Pilaf might give Pearl a run for her money! Should we submit @pilaf.littlemouse??” she wrote on Instagram.
According to Guinness World Records, the shortest dog ever recorded was a dwarf Yorkshire terrier from the United Kingdom. The dog, who was about the size of a fist, stood at 2.8 inches in height and 3.75 inches long. The terrier passed away in 1945, just before its second birthday.
Pearl is one of the few chihuahuas in the United States to make headlines within the past year. Last January, an Ohio-based chihuahua called Spike was named the world’s oldest living dog at 23 years and seven days old. Two weeks later, he was dethroned by Bobi – a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo from Portugal – who is not only the oldest dog living but also the oldest dog ever recorded at 30 years and 266 days old.
