After the death of the Portuguese mastiff named Bobi at the age of 31, Guinness World Records is issuing an investigation to claims that the dog might not have actually lived to that age.
Bobi was reported to have lived until the age of 31 years and 163 days old which made him the oldest dog ever in history according to the Guinness World Records but there have been doubts raised about the legitimacy of the claim.
In a report made by The Guardian, the veterinary community has raised their doubts about Bobi’s reported age as it has lived far beyond the average age of a dog.
The life expectancy of a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo is about 12 to 14 years.
Veterinarian and council member of the UK-based Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Danny Chambers said that none of his co-workers believe that Bobi was actually 31 years old.
“This is the equivalent of a human to living over 200 years old which, given our current medical capabilities, is completely implausible,” Chambers stated in an interview with The Guardian.
“We are a science-based profession, so for the Guinness Book of World Records to maintain their credibility and authority in the eyes of the veterinary profession, they really need to publish some irrefutable evidence,” he added.
They also asserted that online images of Bobi in 1999 showed that he had different colored paws to the dog that passed away in Portugal on October 21.
Bobi’s age was registered with the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria back in 1992, who have confirmed the birth date of the dog, although vets have pointed out that these are usually validated by the owners themselves. They added that Bobi’s precise age also could not be determined from genetic testing.
Despite the controversy, Guinness World Records stated that they are aware of the questions about Bobi’s age and are looking into them.
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