Portugal: Guinness World Records has officially named a 30-year-old Portuguese dog as the world’s oldest dog, breaking a record that had stood for a century. Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed with a 12- to 14-year lifespan on average.
Australia’s Bluey, who passed away in 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months, was the previous oldest dog ever. Bobi was 30 years and 226 days old as of 1st February 2023 and is said to be in good health for his age. According to Guinness World Records, his ripe old age has been confirmed by the pet database of the Portuguese government, which is run by the National Union of Veterinarians.
Say hello to Bobi, the oldest dog ever recorded by Guinness World Records at 30 years and 266 days! ?️ pic.twitter.com/xeTflsWTat
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) February 2, 2023
The dog was born with three siblings in an outbuilding and has spent his entire childhood with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, close to Portugal’s west coast. Leonel Costa, who was eight years old at the time, said his parents had too many animals and had to put the puppies down, but Bobi escaped.
The dog was kept hidden from Mr. Leonel and his brothers’ parents until he was eventually found and adopted by the family, who feed him the same food they do. Just two weeks prior, Spike the Chihuahua, who is 23 years old, was recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living dog. Bobi is now the oldest dog in history. Since then, Guinness has updated its records and declared Bobi to be the oldest dog ever as well as the oldest dog to ever live.