When a neighbor called to report a bear sighting in a Boulder backyard, the Boulder Animal Protection unit expected a routine visit.

But, they did not find a bear. Instead, they found Winston: a 242-pound Great Dane.

“We’re not completely sure to this day what the sighting was,” Boulder resident Karen Ell Garcia said, laughing, “But animal control came, and to their surprise they found Winston.”

Winston, who assumed the officers were there to see him, instantly charmed them. No bears were found in their backyard, but animal protection did take photos with Winston.

Ell Garcia and her husband are fostering Winston through the Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue. Winston is an exceptionally large dog, the largest the rescue has ever seen in its 23 years of operation.He is only four inches shorter than the world’s tallest dog, a Great Dane named Zeus, as documented by the Guinness World Records. And, he’s heavier than Zeus, who weighed 155 pounds. Winston has lost weight since arriving in Boulder nearly four months ago, and he now weighs 220 pounds.

People typically respond with shock and awe when they see Winston, Ell Garcia said. Winston is much bigger than she is, and so when the two are out on walks, she’ll see cars slow down and brake lights come on when cars pass by.

In fact, he’s become a bit of a local celebrity. One of his favorite things to do is walk down Pearl Street.

“Winston loves people so much and he’s so friendly,” she said. “I think people are just so surprised that such a large animal can be so gentle and sweet. The phrase gentle giant is very accurate for Winston.”

He’s especially popular at some dog-friendly local businesses in downtown Boulder, particularly among staff and customers at University Bikes.

“Winston is just an eye-catcher,” sales manager Tyler Shady said. “He’s a people stopper. He walks down Pearl Street and everyone and everything stops.”

When Winston stops by, Shady said, the whole store drops everything. All the employees and all the customers immediately go to greet him.

“Winston would drag his owner in here, stop at the front door, and wouldn’t stop until everyone pets him before he carries on throughout his day,” Shady said.

Ell Garcia said she’s never seen a dog crave people as much as Winston does.

“A lot of people say Winston should open an Instagram and Winston should be an influencer, but I don’t want it to go to his head,” she said.

Winston, who’s now 5 years old, was born by a breeder who said he was double the size of the other puppies in his litter. His dad was 195 pounds and his mother was 175 pounds. He was adopted by a family in Utah who surrendered him a few months ago after going through family changes and significant health issues that prevented them from physically caring for him.

When Winston arrived in Boulder, he was suffering from an 11-month-old paw infection. His veterinarian ruled out cancer but found his wound had three kinds of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He needed special medications and was taking 17 pills a day for about three months. His care saved his paw, and he’s recovering well.

Melissa Jordan, the medical director of Boulder Veterinary Hospital, has been in charge of Winston’s medical care. He came in with orthopedic and skin issues and was put on a weight loss journey. He’s getting better nutrition, lots of attention and more exercise under the care of his foster parents.

When he arrived in Boulder, he could only walk a block. Now, Winston can walk up to a mile.

“He’s definitely the biggest dog I’ve ever worked with, without a doubt,” Jordan said.

Winston’s undergone a couple of surgeries which needed to be scheduled on a day when extra staff are working. It takes four doctors to carry him up to the table when he’s anesthetized. If Winston wasn’t as sweet as he is, it would be much harder to work with him, Jordan said. He’s truly unique.

“He’s sweet, he’s goofy. He is always happy to see people,” Jordan said. “You can turn on the sink in the exam room and he can drink out of the sink without standing on his back legs. He can go right up to it and reach it.”

Ell Garcia and her husband, Carlos Garcia, have two Great Danes of their own. One weighs 120 pounds and the other weighs 125 pounds. Winston makes their Great Danes look like normal-sized or even small dogs by comparison. They frequently foster Great Danes in need and opened their home to about seven dogs this year alone.

“When you start talking about your dog volume in quarter tons, that’s a lot,” Garcia said. “120-pound dogs are big, we have two of them. Add a 240-pound dog, which totals 480 pounds. I don’t know any family who has 480 pounds of dogs in their house in Boulder.”

At the time when Winston needed a new home, the Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue was not accepting intakes. Ell Garcia saw the post on social media and offered to foster him.

The rescue is entirely run by volunteers. Ell Garcia encourages people to get involved with rescues in any way they can, financially if they’re able or by volunteering their time.

“Winston’s story is a great story, but there’s just so many amazing dog rescue stories that we see every day,” Ell Garcia said.

This year, Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue placed about 100 dogs in foster homes and 75 dogs in their permanent homes. Ell Garcia said it’s been a great and successful year.

“Rescues like ours are always struggling to find foster homes and forever homes,” Ell Garcia said. “I would say that if a family is looking to bring in a new dog — a lot of people want the puppy and the cuteness — but there’s just so many amazing dogs out there and there are so many different rescues that cater to purebred and also pure mutt of love. I would really encourage folks, if they’re thinking of bringing in a dog, to check out shelters and rescues because you find amazing dogs.”

Winston is on medical hold for his paw but is expected to be eligible for adoption after the new year. To view Winston’s profile and other adoptable Great Danes, visit rmgreatdane.org/available-great-danes.

Ell Garcia envisions Winston’s perfect home with a family who is home more than away. It could include kids and other dogs — he gets along great with both. He likes to be the center of attention and is all about people. He would thrive somewhere he can socialize and have dog-friendly places to visit.

“In addition to a hot dog dispenser that dispenses hot dogs 24/7, his Christmas wish list would probably be a forever home,” Ell Garcia said. “My wish list for him is a healed paw and booties that fit him. And of course, he wants to see every other dog find their forever home this holiday.”