Just two weeks after announcing 23-year-old Spike as the world’s oldest living dog, Guinness World Records received evidence of an even older pooch.
This hondjie is called Bobi and he is not just the oldest living canine in the world, he is the oldest hond in recorded history.
Born on May 11, 1992, Bobi is 30 years and 266 days old as of February 1.
According to Guinness, Bobi has lived his entire life with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, Portugal.
He is a pure-bred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a livestock guardian dog with an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.
The previous record was held for close to 100 years by an Australian cattle dog, Bluey (1910 to 1939), who lived to be 29 years and five months old.
Bobi was registered with the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria, which confirmed his birth date. His age was also verified by SIAC, a pet database authorised by the Portuguese government and managed by the National Union of Veterinarians.
Bobi was part of a litter of four male pups.
“I was eight years old,” Leonel Costa, now 38, told Guinness World Records. “My father was a hunter, and we had many dogs.”
Leonel’s father decided that they couldn’t keep the newborn puppies, but in his haste he left one behind.
Leonel thinks that one of the biggest contributing factors to Bobi’s long life is that he lives on a farm “far from the cities”.
As for his diet, Bobi drinks lots of water and eats “human food”.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za