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But did Bobbi really live to be 31?
Guinness confirmed on Tuesday that it would begin a “formal review” of Bobbi’s title and would “temporarily suspend” applications for the records for both oldest living dog and oldest dog ever. The investigation, which includes reviewing old evidence, gathering new information and consulting with experts, comes a month after Wired published an article casting doubt on Bobi’s age.
Bobi’s owner Leonel Costa could not be reached for comment. In a statement to The Associated Press, Costa defended the dog’s title, which Guinness took a year to confirm.
In January 2023, Guinness announced that Spike, a Chihuahua mix who is over 23 years old, is the world’s oldest living dog. His reign was short-lived. Two weeks later, having received new information, Guinness further presented Spike’s newly minted crown to Bobi, then 30 years old, along with his highest honor. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Bobbi is not only the oldest living dog, but also the oldest dog in history, breaking the decades-old record held by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months. He became the oldest person.
In announcing Bobi’s Methuselah-like feat, Guinness spoke with Costa, who told the organization that Bobi was never meant to live more than a few days. According to Guinness, the dog and its litter were born in 1992 on a family farm in Portugal, in a building used to store wood. Costa said his father had already decided he had too many animals and had his puppy euthanized.
However, according to Guinness, Bobbi was soon discovered by Costa, who was 8 years old at the time, although his father missed him. According to Guinness, he and his siblings kept it a secret from his parents and only revealed it when Bobbi opened his eyes, clearing the culturally accepted criteria for puppy killing. It is said that he did. He became part of his family and spent many years roaming the farm, eating people’s food, and generally enjoying the “quiet, peaceful environment far from the city.” His owner attributed all of this to his long life.
After Bobi passed away in October, Guinness published an obituary of sorts, commemorating Bobi’s 11,478 days. This is an incredible feat for the purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a native of Portugal who is trained to guard livestock and has an average lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
But doubts about his age quickly arose.
A few days after the news of his death, The Guardian reported that Danny Chambers, a British veterinarian and a trustee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, said, “None of my fellow veterinarians believe Bobi was actually 31 years old.” “There is not a single person,” he was quoted as saying. Ms Chambers said she sometimes meets dogs that live into their late teens, but unlike Bobbi, they tend to be small breeds that aren’t obese, which is why “he just happened to live almost three times longer than average.” That was even more surprising.” ”
“My heart goes out to all the owners who have lost their beloved dogs, which is the equivalent of a human living to well over 200 years,” he said in a statement to The Washington Post. ” he said. “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and so far no concrete evidence has been provided.”
In a statement to the BBC, Mr Costa said his skepticism about Bobi’s longevity stemmed from his description of the dog’s diet, which he said was contrary to veterinarian recommendations. Bobbi was eating “human food” rather than pet food, Costa told the Guinness Book of World Records.
“If he had told me he had been eating pet food for 30 years, everything would have been different,” Costa told the BBC.
A few weeks later, Wired reported that the Portuguese government’s pet database, the Animal Information System, confirmed that Costa had registered Bobi in July 2022. The owner claimed at the time that the dog was born in 1992, but there was no proof of this. According to Wired, it is available.
When Costa interviewed Guinness last year, he was asked about the secret behind his dog’s incredibly long life. He gave several reasons, but ultimately deferred to the record holder.
“If Bobi spoke, only he would be able to explain this,” he told the organization.
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