The title of “longest living dog” has changed several times over the past year. Every time one person is announced, another person realizes that their dog has grown. But the most recent winner overtook all the other senior dogs with a long shot. Not only is he the oldest dog alive, but he’s also the oldest dog ever!
As of February 1, 2023, Bobi broke the record at 30 years and 266 days. Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro by Alentejo, a Portuguese guard dog, and he was born on May 11, 1992. Bobi barely made it past the first week of life, but humans Its very grateful that it did!
A heartbreaking start to life
Bobi was one of four puppies born in the building where the family kept the wood. Its owner, Leonel Costa, was only eight years old at the time. Leonel said his parents always kept many dogs in the house, so when their dog named Gira was born, the family had no room to raise more dogs.
Instead of finding someone else to take care of the puppies, Leonel’s parents made the terrible decision to bury the puppies alive the day after they were born. According to Leonel, those horrible acts were common among people who didn’t want to have dogs at the time. Leonel and his brothers were heartbroken, but then they noticed that Gira kept coming back to the building where the puppies were.
So Leonel and his brothers followed Gira and discovered that their parents had left a puppy (Bobi). The boys keep Bobi a secret from their parents.
“We knew that when the dog opened its eyes, my parents wouldn’t bury it anymore,” Leonel said. “Everybody knows that this action cannot or should not be taken.”
The boys kept Bobi a secret for about two weeks until he opened his eyes. When their parents found out the boys had hidden the puppy, they were furious, but Leonel had no regrets as it saved Bobi’s life.
New record holder!
Bobi is now older than “the oldest dog ever”, an Australian Cattle dog named Bluey, who has lived for 29 years and 5 months. Bluey lived almost a century ago, from 1910 to 1939.
The Municipality of Leiria Veterinary Health Service registered Bobi in 1992, so they confirmed his age for the world record. SIAC, a pet database authorized by the Portuguese government, also verifies Bobi’s age. In the past, some families claimed to have bigger dogs than Bobi, but they didn’t have any evidence to back that up.
Leonel nominated Bobi as the oldest dog alive, but he never thought that Bobi could also be the oldest dog ever. In the last year, TobyKeith, Pebble, GinoAnd Point All of them have been named the oldest dogs alive at some point, but they are all in their 20s. None of them come close to getting past Bobi or Bluey.
What is Bobi’s secret to a long, healthy life?
Leonel has a history of caring for long-lived dogs. Bobi’s mother, Gira, lived to be 18, and another family dog, Chicote, lived to be 22. According to the AKC, Rafeiro do Alentejos usually only lives between 12 and 14 years of age.
No one knows exactly why Bobi lived so long, but Leonel believes it has something to do with his peaceful lifestyle. He was free to roam in the large family fortune, so he was never tied up. He grew up around many animals, especially cats, so he is very sociable. He also mainly feeds humans with meals that have had the seasoning removed.
Due to age, Bobi doesn’t have as much energy as before. He spends most of his time relaxing now. Overall, he had very few health problems during his lifetime. In 2018, he experienced a scare when he had trouble breathing, but he survived and kept going strong. Like most older dogs, he faced some vision and joint problems, but Leonel took him in for a routine check-up.
Bobi’s 31st birthday is coming in May, but he has no idea how big of an accomplishment his birthday will be. Despite his age, he continues to be playful and vibrant. If only he could share the secret of his success with everyone!
Featured pictures: YouTube
