They say it’s a dog’s life, but how long does it last? New figures show some owners will have their trusted pet at their side for a lot longer than they might have imagined.
Every dog is different of course, and it's normally heartbreaking for owners when their beloved pet departs this world, however many years they end up being around for. Typically, that's substantially less than human beings, and lots of other creatures.
Immortal jellyfish are just that - they can live forever, although they are, of course, the exception. For most creatures this mortal coil only stretches for so long, but much longer than dogs. One species of shark can live for 500 years, tortoises can keep going for 100 years or more, koi fish can continue swimming for 40 years, and macaws can live to be 80. Even cats can outlive their arch rivals in dogs with a life expectancy of 12-18 years. Plus they have their fabled nine lives!
