Guinness World Records has crowned a 30-year-old Portuguese dog as the world’s oldest canine, breaking a record that had stood for a century. Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed with a 12- to 14-year lifespan on average.
Australia’s Bluey, who passed away in 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months, was the previous oldest dog ever. Bobi was 30 years and 226 days old as of February 1 and is considered to be in good health for his age.
According to Guinness World Records, his ripe old age has been confirmed by the pet database of the Portuguese government, which is run by the National Union of Veterinarians.
He was born with three siblings in an outbuilding and has spent his entire childhood with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, close to Portugal’s west coast.
Eight-year-old Leonel Costa claimed that even though his parents had to put the puppies to sleep because they had too many pets, Bobi managed to escape.
The dog was kept hidden from Leonel and his brothers’ parents until he was eventually found and adopted by the family, who feed him the same food they do.
Bobi has lived a mostly trouble-free existence, according to Mr. Costa, with the exception of a scare in 2018 when he was hospitalised after abruptly falling from respiratory issues. Mr. Costa attributes Bobi’s longevity to the “quiet, serene atmosphere” he lives in.
Given that Bobi’s mother lived to be 18, it might also run in the family. However, Bobi has suffered the effects of time; he is now having difficulty walking and his vision is deteriorating. Bobi is the “last of a long generation of creatures,” according to Mr. Costa, who calls him “one of a kind.”
Just two weeks prior, Spike the Chihuahua, another dog, was recognised by Guinness World Records as being the oldest living dog at 23 year old.Since then, Guinness has updated its records and declared Bobi to be the oldest dog ever as well as the oldest dog to ever live.
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