30-year-old dog named Bobi sets world record as the oldest dog ever

Although dogs do not live as long as humans, some are blessed with long lives that inspire us all with their health and longevity.A select few even have the distinction of being the world’s oldest dog.That honor has passed several times in the last year, most recently to 23-year-old Chihuahua Spike.However, the record has now been officially broken by a new dog, who is not only the oldest living dog, but also the oldest dog ever!

Bobi, the world’s oldest dog

Bobi, who is 30 years and 266 days old as of February 1, was named the oldest dog alive and the oldest dog ever by Guinness World Records, breaking the records of both Spike and Bluey, who lived to be 29 years and 5 months old.Bluey died in 1939, so this record has not been broken for decades.
Bobi’s age has been confirmed by the Portuguese pet database SIAC, which is based on a veterinarian registration from 1992.Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of livestock guardian dog, who lives with his family in Leiria, Portugal, according to Guinness.This dog has lived a remarkably long life, living more than double the life expectancy of his breed and years past the lives of even the oldest dogs.

Surprisingly, he didn’t make it past infancy.Leonel Costa, the owner, recalled that his father was a hunter, so they had many dogs in the house when he was growing up.However, when Gira gave birth to four puppies, the parents wanted to euthanize them because they already had too many dogs.

According to Leonel, it was common among older people to bury unwanted animals in a hole, and that was the fate of the majority of the newborn pups — except for Bobi, who had eluded capture and was still being cared for by his mother.Leonel and his siblings kept the puppy hidden for weeks because they knew their parents would not kill the dog if he grew up.

“We knew that if the dog opened its eyes, my parents wouldn’t bury it anymore,” Leonel told Guinness.Nobody expected this puppy to live longer than any other dog in history.

“I admit that when they discovered that we already knew, they screamed and punished us, but it was well worth it and for a good reason!”It’s still going strong.

Leonel, who has had Bobi since he was 8 years old, says he can’t quite explain why Bobi has lived so long, but one reason could be the “calm, peaceful environment” of rural life “far from the cities.”Bobi has the good life: he eats “human food” and gets to roam the farmland and forests, though he’s become a little less daring as he’s gotten older.

Even at his unprecedented age, Bobi is still doing well: his eyesight has deteriorated and he rests more, but vets have examined Bobi and said he’s “doing well for his advanced age,” according to Leonel.

Bobi will celebrate his 31st birthday in May, a truly unprecedented feat.Leonel’s long life is a true link to the past for Leonel, who has had his dog by his side since he was a child.

“Looking at Bobi is like remembering people who were part of our family but are no longer here, like my father, brother, or grandparents who have already left this world,” he told Guinness World Records.”Those generations are represented by Bobi.”