Finley the Golden Retriever may look like your average dog, but throw him a ball or six and you’ll soon notice that there’s something extraordinary about this playful pooch.
It was back in 2017 that Finley's owner, Erin Molloy, first noticed that her canine companion had a rather unique talent for toting tennis balls in his mouth and not just one like most dogs but an impressive six.
"My dad would throw him a tennis ball, he'd catch it, drop it, then wait for my dad to throw another. Rather than bringing just one ball back to my dad, he brought back all six! He's been a ball hoarder for quite some time now!" Molloy explains.
And now Finley's talent has gone global after the big-mouthed mutt earned himself the Guinness World Record for “most tennis balls held in the mouth by a dog.”
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It’s been a long wait for this New York native though who became the official record holder on February 23, 2020, but has had to wait for the release of the 2022 Guinness World Records book to finally see his name in print. And he’s making sure the world knows about his success.
"BIG NEWS! I can officially say that I am in the @guinnessworldrecords book for 2022! This of course wasn't easy, and certainly felt like forever and a day to accomplish! Thank you to all my friends and fans who have been following my tennis ball journey since the beginning," Finley and his owner, Erin Molloy, shared on his Instagram page @finnyboymolloy (opens in new tab).
Up until Finley took out the title, the previous record was held by a Golden Retriever named Augie who managed to hold an impressive five balls back in 2003.
As for the current record holder, Finley is enjoying a well-deserved break from all the attention that has accompanied his recent feat. "Enjoying retired life now that I have the @guinnessworldrecords (opens in new tab)," Finley stated in a recent Instagram post.
