Bobi claimed the Guinness World Record from Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, who died in 1939 aged 29 and five months.
ADVERTISEMENTA 31-year-old dog in Portugal that had been recognised as the world’s oldest dog ever has died, his owner said on Monday (24 October).
The guard dog, called Bobi, died over the weekend in a veterinary hospital, Leonel Costa told The Associated Press.
Bobi lived on a farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal with Costa and four cats. He was born on 11 May 1992 when his owner was just 8 years old.
Bobi lived to be 31 years 165 days old and his death was announced by Dr Karen Becker, a veterinarian who had met him several times.
“Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on Earth would never be enough for those who loved him,” she wrote on Facebook.
“Godspeed, Bobi … you’ve taught the world all you were meant to teach.”
What was Bobi’s secret to a long life?
In an interview earlier this year, Costa told the Associated Press that Bobi’s secret to a long life was good food, fresh air and lots of love. He said a “calm, peaceful environment” far from the cities had also helped.
“Bobi eats what we eat,” said Costa. What’s more, Bobi had never been put on a lead.
Bobi claimed the Guinness World Record from Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, who died in 1939 aged 29 and five months. He had held the record for almost a century.
His birth date had been confirmed by the Portuguese government’s pet database and by the National Union of Veterinarians.
Officials at the Guinness World Records on Monday said they were “saddened to learn of the death of Bobi, the world’s oldest dog ever.”
Bobi was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of Portuguese dog that has an average life expectancy of some 10 to 14 years.
