Dead Dog Loses His Big Honor

Guinness World Records says it can't confirm Bobi really lived to age 31
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 22, 2024 12:13 PM CST
Dead Dog Loses His Big Honor
Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo Portuguese dog, poses for a photo at his home in Conqueiros, Portugal, on May 20.   (AP Photo/Jorge Jeronimo, File)

A dog named Bobi has posthumously lost his claim to fame. The AP reports Guinness World Records has ruled against the Portuguese dog keeping the title of oldest canine ever. Following a review, GWR said Thursday it "no longer has the evidence it needs to support Bobi's claim as the record holder." Bobi, a guard dog who reportedly made it to 31 years and 5 months (the Guardian points out that's the equivalent of 220 human years), had lived on a farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal with its owner, Leonel Costa. He was proclaimed as the world's oldest living dog and oldest dog ever in February 2023. Said to have been born on May 11, 1992, he died last October.

  • More on Bobi: He was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed that has an average life expectancy of about 10 to 14 years. In an emailed statement in January, his owner defended the title, saying Guinness World Records had spent a year checking the record claim.
  • The probe: GWR said it opened an investigation following concerns raised by veterinarians and other experts, both privately and publicly, and media investigations. The group had suspended the title pending the review announced last month.

  • How records are verified: "We of course require evidence ... often a minimum of two statements from witnesses and subject experts," Mark McKinley, GWR's director of records, said in a statement. GWR said they found a lack of evidence from Bobi's microchip data, which left them with no conclusive evidence of Bobi's date of birth.
  • So who's oldest now? McKinley said that it was too early to speak about a new record holder. "It's going to take a long time for microchip uptake around the world to catch up with pet ownership, especially of older pets," he said. "Until that time, we'll require documentary evidence for all years of a pet's life." The record holder prior to Bobi definitely didn't have microchip evidence of his claim: The Guardian reports Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939, reportedly lived to be 29 years and 5 months.
(More Guinness World Records stories.)

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