by WorldTribune Staff, October 23, 2023

The story of Bobi, a dog in Portugal who was enshrined in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest living pooch, is pretty amazing.

Bobi was born in a litter of four puppies in village of Portuguese village of Conqueiros. Because the family already owned too many animals, the father of Bobi’s owner decided not to keep them.

“Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal by older people […] to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive,” Guinness World Records cited the dog’s owner, Leonel Costa, as saying.

But Bobi was accidentally left behind, hidden amongst a pile of wood stored in the outbuilding where he was born, so Leonel said his parents didn’t spot him.

Bobi was soon discovered by Leonel and his brothers, who kept the puppy’s existence a secret.

“When their parents eventually became aware of Bobi, it was too late to put him down, so Bobi became a part of the family,” Guinness World Records noted.

Bobi lived for 31 years and 165 days. He died on Oct. 20.

Bobi’s death was announced by Dr Karen Becker, a veterinarian who met Bobi several times. She wrote on Facebook: “Last night, this sweet boy earned his wings. Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him.”

Guinness World Records said Bobi was announced as the world’s oldest dog living and oldest dog ever on Feb. 2 of this year.

He was registered in 1992 with Serviço Medico-Veterinário do Município de Leiria (Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria), who confirmed his birth date. Bobi’s age was also verified by SIAC, a pet database authorized by the Portuguese government and managed by the SNMV (Sindicato Nacional dos Médicos Veterinários; National Union of Veterinarians).

According to Leonel, the “calm, peaceful” environment Bobi lived in contributed to his record-breaking age. Additionally, Bobi was never tied up, chained, nor leashed – he always enjoyed free roam of the nature surrounding his house.

Leonel believes that Bobi’s diet also contributed to his longevity, as he exclusively ate human food. “What we ate, they ate too,” Leonel said. Before serving food to Bobi, Leonel soaked it in water to remove the seasonings.

Bobi’s mother, Gira, lived to be 18, and another one of Leonel’s dogs, Chicote, died at 22.

“We see situations like this as a normal result of the life that they have, but Bobi is one of a kind,” Leonel said after Bobi was awarded his record.

Your Choice

Please Support Real Journalism

  31, ate only human food, Bobi, Conqueiros, dies at age 31, Guinness World Records, world’s oldest ever dog was never tied, WorldTribune.com