It hasn’t been long since Spike held the record for being the world’s oldest living dog, yet he is already passing it on (sorry, Spike). Only two weeks into being the title holder, a dog from Portugal has successfully snagged the crown from the chihuahua. The Guinness World of Records now officially recognizes Bobi, not only as the oldest dog living, but also as the oldest dog ever.
Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, has already lived long enough to double his breed’s life expectancy of twelve to fourteen years. As of February 1 2023, Bobi is exactly 30 years and 266 days old. The dog’s birth date has been verified by Serviço Medico-Veterinário do Municpio de Leiria (the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria), where he was registered in 1992.
Due to his old age, it’s only normal for him to become less adventurous than he used to. His eyesight has deteriorated, he already finds walking difficult and rests longer than he used to.
Although he was hospitalized in 2018 after collapsing due to difficulty in breathing, the pet’s owner, Leonel Costa, believed that Bobi is living a “trouble free” life. He believes that having a “calm and peaceful environment” is his pet’s secret to having a long life.
Bobi has lived with Leonel’s family in the Portuguese village of Conqueiros his entire life. The pet that wasn’t meant to be kept is now very much loved and treasured by the Costa 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,” Leonel said.
The record breaking dog’s story could be considered a ‘miraculous’ one. From being a dog who was condemned at birth, who would have thought that he’d grew up to be the record holder of the world’s oldest dog ever?
Bobi has beaten the almost century-old record of the previous ‘oldest dog ever’ named Bluey, an Australian cattle-dog that lived for 29 years and 5 months.
Long live, Bobi!
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