Emily Brown
Diego the Great Dane might have long floppy ears and a bone-shaped tag on his collar, but as London's 'largest dog', he has some people mistaking him for a cow.
Obviously cows aren't known for frolicking around parks in England's capital, but then it's not every day that you see a 94cm-tall pooch wandering the streets either.
Diego is owned by Carlos Da Silva, a garage owner who commutes from his home in Wembley on a vintage K-750 motorbike, and if the sight of Diego alone wasn't already enough to shock you just wait until you see him riding alongside his owner in a sidecar.
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Da Silva bought Diego in 2015 after finally convincing his wife, Ellie, that they should get a dog. The Great Dane is now six years old and has an adopted brother, two-year-old Nelson, though it's currently only Diego who gets to ride alongside his dad.
Speaking of the dog's love for his adventures, Da Silva told MyLondon: 'If I touch the sidecar, he knows we're going out. If I put on my jacket or grab the helmet, he knows - it's crazy. Great Danes are lazy - they're lap dogs. Everywhere they go, they sit...I put him on the sidecar and he sat down, and that's it.'
Diego, who is now six years old, weighs 95kgs and stands more than six-feet high on his hind legs, but that doesn't stop Da Silva from taking him everywhere he goes - even on the tube.
The owner believes the dog's huge size is in part down to his enormous appetite, noting that the Great Dane has a habit of stealing or accepting food from strangers.
Diego's great height means he regularly attracts attention from onlookers, and some children are said to mistake him for a cow. He has adoring fans in Victoria Park, where he takes his morning walk, and is often visited while hanging out at Da Silva's garage, Bravos Motorcycles.
'In East London, almost everyone knows him', Da Silva said, adding: 'If you have a Great Dane, everyone wants to come and talk and take pictures. The Tube is a nightmare sometimes...one [person] wants to take a photo, and then another one, and then there's a crowd.'
Da Silva has advised anyone who wants to 'meet people and make friends' to walk a Great Dane in London, noting that he's even been stopped by the police while on his bike just so they could get a photo. Diego even has his own Instagram page, where he entertains thousands of followers with insights to his life as a giant pooch.
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