The supposed world's oldest dog, Bobi, has had his title temporarily revoked as an investigation is underway to figure out if he was actually the age his owner claimed he was. Bobi was a Portuguese mastiff who died in October 2023 at the claimed age of 31 and 5 months old.
Officials at Guinness World Records are now questioning the dog's actual lifespan. In February 2023, Bobi was declared by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living dog and the oldest dog to have ever lived.
Before Bobi, the world's oldest dog was recorded as Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who was 29 years and 5 months when he died in 1939. So it came as a surprise that Bobi's age equated to over 200 human years, and the suspicions arose.
According to observers, photos of Bobi in 1999 showed different colored paws to the dog that died in Portugal in October 2023. Vets also pointed out that while his age had been registered on the national pet database, the entries are usually based on what the owner of the pet says.
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There was a genetic test that was performed, but it only confirmed that he was old while not providing an exact age. So undoubtedly, people began to suspect that Bobi may not have been the age his owner claimed he was.
Danny Chambers, a vet and council member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, shared that “not a single one of my veterinary colleagues believe Bobi was actually 31 years old." The technology magazine Wired added that there is indeed an entry for Bobi in the Portuguese government database for the registration of cats and dogs, where his owner says he was born in 1992. Yet no registration or data could confirm or deny the statement.
An official from the database also told the magazine that Guinness World Records never contacted them to verify the information. Leonel Costa, Bobi's owner, did not respond to Wired’s questions.
A spokesperson for Guinness World Records confirmed that Bobi had been stripped of both titles, and whether or not he gets it back depends on the outcome of the investigation. “While our review is ongoing we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for oldest dog living and ever just until all of our findings are in place,” the spokesperson said.
Before Bobi claimed the title, a Chihuahua named Spike held the title of the world’s oldest living dog. He gained the title on December 7, 2022. His age at the time was 23 years and 7 days.
In an interview with Time, one of Bobi vets accredited his long lifespan to not suffering from anxiety and having access to nature and daily physical activity. "He has an owner who understands him perfectly and who does not generate anxiety he has social contact with other animals, he is very integrated into the family and of course, this will help him to have this kind of longevity."
