Do you ever wonder what the oldest living dog on Earth looks like? Well, meet Bobi, the world’s oldest living dog, who at the age of 30 years and 268 days has been crowned the world’s oldest living dog – and the oldest dog to ever live – by Guinness World Records (GWR). Bobi, a Portuguese purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, has lived for double his life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, and has broken an almost century-old record held by Australian cattle dog Bluey.
Bobi has been living with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, in Leiria, western Portugal, for his entire life. His owner Leonel Costa, who was just 8 years old when Bobi was born on May 11, 1992, said in a statement that Bobi has been a warrior for all these years. His age has been confirmed by the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria, and SIAC, a pet database authorized by the Portuguese government.
Bobi’s family is used to long-lived dogs. His mother, Gira, lived to the age of 18, and another of the family’s dogs, Chicote, lived for 22 years. Bobi nearly didn’t make it beyond infancy, as his father initially decided they already had too many animals at home. However, Leonel and his brother managed to save Bobi and keep his existence a secret until his eyes were open.
Bobi grew up very sociable, alongside many other animals, and roamed free in the forests and farmland around the house. Leonel puts his pet’s longevity down, in part, to the “calm, peaceful environment” in which he grew up, as well as his taste for human food. In his old age, Bobi has become less adventurous and has difficulty walking, but regular assessments at the vet’s have always shown that he is doing well for his advanced age.
At 30 years and 268 days, Bobi is living proof that with a calm, peaceful environment and a taste for human food, dogs can have an incredibly long life. He is an inspiration to us all, and we are very happy and grateful to life for allowing us, after 30 years, to have Bobi in our daily lives.
Source: abc7ny.com