‘World’s oldest dog’ Bobi loses title after recent death lead to investigation into his real age
The 'World's oldest dog' Bobi loses his title after a look into the dog's history has prompted an investigation.
Bobi still held of the title at the time of his death in October 2023.
The Rafeiro do Alentejo, a Portuguese farm dog, lived until he was reportedly 31-years-old and 268 days old - despite the breed usually having a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.
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Bobi was celebrated over social media following his death - having apparently lived the equivalent of 200 human years.
His death was announced by vet Dr Karen Becker, who revealed that he had died over the weekend.
"Last night, this sweet boy earned his wings." she said.
"Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on Earth would never be enough for those who loved him.
"Godspeed, Bobi ... you've taught the world all you were meant to teach."
However, vets have now begun to doubt the legitimacy of his age as older pictures of the dog show him with white paws when he had brown paws in his later years - despite his age being apparently confirmed by the Portuguese government's pet database and the National Union of Veterinarians.
And because of these arising suspicions, Guinness World Records have officially relinquished Bobi from his title while investigations are being carried out.
Speaking to The Times, a spokesperson said: "While our review is ongoing we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for 'oldest dog living' and 'oldest dog ever' - just until all of our findings are in place."
It has been suggested that his confirmed old age may have been, in fact, due to poor fact-checking.
According to Bobi's owner, Leonel Costa, he'd had looked after Bobi since he was eight-years-old, explaining how he'd kept his canine companion by his side for so long.
Costa said that Bobi living in a 'calm, peaceful environment' which was 'far from the cities' had likely helped the dog live longer.
He said that the dog also 'ate what we ate' and had never been chained up or put on a lead.
In May, just a few months after he was named the 'world's oldest dog', Bobi turned 31 in May.
He'd broken the record previously set by Australian dog Bluey, who had lived to be 29 years and five months old.
But who could the title possibly go to in the meantime?
Well, Sky News reports that the title could be handed to a chihuahua named Spike, who is still alive.
The 23-year-old pooch from Ohio had previously helmed the title before losing it to Bobi in January last year.
Topics: Animals, Guinness World Record
Joshua Nair