A dog named Bobi has been declared the world’s oldest living dog ever, Guinness World Records announced Thursday.
Bobi, who lives in Portugal, is an astounding 30 years and 267 days old! Bobi’s age was verified by SIAC, a pet database used by veterinarians and authorized by the Portuguese government.
Born on May 11, 1992, Bobi was going to be put down as a puppy but his human Leonel Costa saved him. The family members share their theories as to Bobi’s longevity. They attribute his long life to a number of reasons: growing up in a “calm, peaceful environment” away from the city, roaming freely on their farm, and being very sociable – Bobi spends time with lots of animals. They also say Bobi enjoys a healthy diet. He drinks a lot of water and eats human food without seasoning.
Although he has difficulty walking now, Bobi looks pretty strong to us in the video Guinness released with the news. Bobi mostly spends time in the backyard with the family’s four cats.
The Costa family also cherish Bobi for the legacy he holds in their family. “Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother, or my grandparents who have already left this world. Bobi represents those generations,” the Costa family told Guinness.
Bobi is a Rafeiro do Alentejo – a breed in Portugal used for protecting livestock. The breed’s average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, Guinness World Records said.
Guinness World Records
Bobi replaces Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, as the oldest dog record holder in the Guinness World Records. Bluey lived to be 29 years and 5 months old.
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