One senior pooch has been given the official title of the world's oldest dog after reaching the grand old age of 30 years and 268 days.
Bobi, born in Portugal on May 11, 1992, was crowned by Guinness World Records - beating the previous record holder, a 23-year-old chihuahua called Spike, who was given the title just weeks ago. Not only is Bobi currently the oldest dog on the planet, but he is also now officially the oldest dog ever to have lived.
The title was previously held for almost a century by an Australian cattle dog called Bluey, who lived for 29 years and five months before his death in 1939. Bobi was registered with a vet practice as a puppy in his home of Leira, Portugal, who were able to confirm his incredible age.
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Bobi, who is a Rafeiro do Alentejo - a Portuguese breed of livestock guardian dog - is described by his owner as a calm and sociable pooch who enjoys relaxing by the fireplace when it's cold outside. Dubbed a "one of a kind" dog, other than some eyesight troubles Bobi lives a relatively normal life despite his advanced age.
Bobi's owner Leonel Costa, 38, who was just eight years old when he first welcomed Bobi into his life, said: "Bobi has been a warrior for all these years, only he knows how he’s been holding on – it must not be easy because the average dog’s life span is not that high. If he spoke only he could explain this success."
The life expectancy for Bobi's breed is typically 12-14 years, making his long lifespan all the more amazing - and not only that, but the senior canine survived all the odds stacked against him when he was born in an outbuilding at the family's home as one of four puppies. "Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home […] to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive," Leonel explained to Guinness World Records.
However, when Leonel's dad took the puppies to bury them, he accidentally left one behind - and when Leonel and his siblings discovered tiny Bobi in the outbuilding, they kept his existence a secret until he was old enough to open his eyes. When the pup's existence was finally rumbled, Bobi became a part of the family - and the rest is world record-breaking history.
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