Multiple sources have reported that Bobi, a 30-year-old thoroughbred Portuguese Rafeiro do Alentejo, is officially the world’s oldest living dog, according to the Guinness World Records.
Clocking in at 30 years and 266 days old as of February 1st, Bobi the farm dog has far outlived the age expectancy for his breed – just 12 to 14 years. But when he was born, Bobi was not supposed to live long at all – in fact, not more than a few days, reports NRP.org.
Bobi was born in the rural village of Conqueiros in Portugal in a litter of four male puppies. The family who owned the dogs already had several pets and decided they were unable to take care of any more. One of their sons – Bobi’s current owner, Leonel Costa – told Guiness World Records that at the time, it was common for people to bury newborn puppies if they didn’t want them. Costa’s father therefore took the puppies away to be buried.
However, days later, Costa noticed something odd: Bobi’s mother, Gira, kept returning to the shed where her puppies had been born, even though they were no longer there. Costa and his siblings followed her into the shed one day, and found that Bobi was still there – and he was alive.
Costa believes his father might not have spotted Bobi because his brown fur camouflaged him in the shed. Once Costa and his siblings rescued Bobi, they kept him secretly until he was old enough to open his eyes, so their parents wouldn’t have the heart to get rid of him.
"I confess that when they found out that we already knew, they screamed a lot and punished us, but it was worth it and for a good reason!" Costa said.
Bobi has gone on to live a long and peaceful life – the longest dog life in current history! Costa says Bobi has never been leashed or chained, like many other dogs are, but rather is allowed to roam free in forests and farmland surrounding his family’s home. He has always been fed a diet of non-seasoned human food, and Costa believes this has contributed to the pooch’s longevity.
Bobi is of course showing some signs of aging – at 30 years of age, he has difficulty walking and his eyesight isn’t great. But he still enjoys each day of his golden years, relaxing beside the fire or spending time with his feline friends. A wonderful retirement in anyone’s book!
It is thought that Bobi may not only be the oldest living dog today, but possibly ever. Prior to Bobi, the century-old record was held by an Australian cattle dog called Bluey, who according to Guinness World Records was born in 1910 and lived to be 29 years and 5 months old.
"Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother, or my grandparents," said Costa, who was surprised to learn that his dog had beat two world records, but always considered him special. "Bobi represents those generations."
Banner image credit:REUTERS/Catarina Demony & Image 1 & 2 credit: Guinness World Records
