Maggie Mae, who lives with her family in south Fort Myers and is almost 16, may be the oldest Great Dane in the U.S., her owner says. (Credit: WINK News) Age is just a number, right? Well, one Southwest Florida dog may be the oldest of its breed in the entire country, according to her owner. The average Great Dane lives anywhere from eight to 10 years. Maggie Mae has bested that by living nearly 16 years! The first thing you notice about her is, undoubtedly, her size. “I can’t say how many times I’ve heard people tell me, you’ve got a saddle for that thing?” said Lisa Difilippo, Maggie Mae’s owner. “She’s a big gentle giant, but I definitely have to walk with two plastic bags, not just one.” Her age isn’t typical, either. She’s almost 16, an age most Great Danes don’t get to. “Every Christmas, we do a family portrait, and my husband for the last few years has been telling me, you got to brace yourself, this might be the last Christmas picture. And every Christmas she’s just still there. And at some point, we were like let’s just Google and see how old the oldest Great Dane is. And I mean she’s surpassed it by we think at least four to five years.” So, what’s Maggie Mae’s secret? “Lots of love. For Maggie, it’s been not only love but lots of rotisserie chicken.” Difilippo may not know exactly how Maggie Mae has enjoyed such a long life, but as for why, she has an idea. “So my husband and I, we’ve been trying for going on about three years to have a baby, and everybody in the family has this running joke that Maggie’s just sticking around to wait for her little grandbaby to come along.” Whatever the reason, she’s living out her purpose as man’s best friend – by a few extra years. A veterinarian told WINK News that Great Danes usually live about five to 10 years on average, but, like humans, a lot of it simply comes down to diet, exercise, and good genes.