A dog from Portugal has officially been named the oldest ever, at the age of 30 years and 268 days.
“One of a kind” Bobi the Rafeiro do Alentejo was given the title by global authority on record-breaking, the Guinness World Records, on February 1.
Bobi was born on a family-run farm in the village of Conqueiros in the Portuguese district of Leiria on May 11, 1992, and still lives with the same family nearly 31 years later. His owner, Leonel Costa, was eight when the family got the dog.
He is described as “a very calm and sociable dog, who loves to be petted and plays a lot with the four cats he lives with”.
His family believe the secret to his longevity is the fact he has always lived in the countryside, “in a calm, peaceful environment, surrounded by nature”.
They add that he drinks plenty of water, sleeps well at night, and mostly eats the same food as his owners, though care is taken to soak it in water first to remove seasoning.
He had just one health scare in 2018 but pulled through, and now lives a normal life, despite some difficulties with his eyesight and walking that come with age.
Mr Costa describes Bobi as “one of a kind”.
“Bobi has been a warrior for all these years, only he knows how he’s been holding on,” he said. “It must not be easy because the average dog’s life span is not that high and if he spoke only he could explain this success.
“We are very happy and grateful to life for allowing us, after 30 years, to have Bobi in our daily lives.”
As of February 1, Bobi was 30 years and 266 days old.
In 1992, the year he was born, Bobi was registered with the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria, which has confirmed his date of birth. His age has also been verified by two other independent authorities.
Mr Costa added that seeing Bobi’s long life recognised by becoming a Guinness World Records title holder “is an immense joy”.
The previous record holder for the oldest dog ever was Bluey - an Australian cattle dog who lived to 29 years 5 months before being put to sleep in November 1939.
The previous record holder for the oldest dog living was Spike who achieved the record at 23 years and 7 days, as verified in Camden, Ohio, on December 7, 2022.
