The Guinness Book of World Records has named a dog in Portugal the oldest dog ever, at the grand old age of 30. Bobi, the dog, broke a record that had stood for nearly a century. Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, which has a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. Bluey, Australia’s previous oldest dog, died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months.
Bobi was 30 years and 226 days old on February 1st, and he is said to be doing well for his age. According to Guinness World Records, his grand old age has been validated by the Portuguese government’s pet database, which is managed by the National Union of Veterinarians.
He has spent his entire life with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, near Portugal’s west coast, after being born in an outbuilding with three siblings.
Leonel Costa, who was eight years old at the time, claimed that his parents had too many animals and had to euthanize the puppies, but Bobi escaped.
Leonel and his brothers kept the dog’s existence a secret from their parents until he was eventually discovered and became part of the family, who feed him the same food they eat. “Between a can of animal food or a piece of meat, Bobi doesn’t hesitate and chooses our food,” said Mr Costa, who always soaks the food in water to remove most of the seasoning.
Costa says Bobi has had a relatively trouble-free life, aside from a scare in 2018 when he was hospitalised after suddenly collapsing due to breathing difficulties. He believes the secret to his longevity is the “calm, peaceful environment” he lives in. Bobi’s mother lived to be 18 years old, so it could be in her blood. However, the time has taken its toll on Bobi, who now has difficulty walking and is losing his vision.
Bobi, according to Costa, is the “last of a long generation of animals” in the Costa family and is “one of a kind.” Bobi’s title as the oldest dog ever comes only two weeks after Guinness World Records named another dog, Spike the Chihuahua, as the oldest living dog – at 23 years old.
Guinness has since updated its records and announced Bobi as both the oldest dog living, and the oldest dog ever.
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