Bobi (11 May 1992[a] – 21 October 2023) was a male purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo dog owned by Leonel Costa of Conqueiros, Leiria, Portugal. Bobi was claimed by his owner to be the oldest dog to ever live and the first dog on record to reach 30 years. On 2 February 2023, Bobi was certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest living dog, along with being the oldest dog on record to ever live. [3] However, after veterinarians became suspicious of his real age, an investigation was pursued. Once his records were revoked, he was stripped of the title.[1][4][2] Bobi died on 21 October 2023, reportedly aged 31 years and 165 days.[5][2]
Bobi, was initially certified by Guinness World Records
Early life
According to Bobi's owner, Bobi was born as one of four male puppies in an outbuilding where his caretaker's family stored wood. His brothers were all buried alive after birth due to Costa's father not wanting to take care of more animals. Since Bobi blended in with the wood of the shed he was born in, Costa's father did not see him when he was collecting the puppies to bury.[6]
Initial certification
Originally certified by Guinness World Records, Bobi was initially confirmed as being the oldest verified living dog as well as the oldest verified dog in history, being 30 years and 266 days old from an evaluation on 1 February 2023.[7] This surpassed the previous record held by Bluey, a female Australian Cattle Dog, who was euthanized on 14 November 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months.[8]
On 7 December 2022, in the U.S. state of Ohio, a 23-year-old chihuahua named Spike was certified as the oldest living dog; however, that title was short-lived as Bobi's age was verified two weeks later.[9] Spike regained his title as the world's oldest living dog after Bobi’s death.[10]
Investigation of claim
On 29 October 2023, Guinness World Records announced it would re-investigate Bobi's age to address veterinarian questions and concerns over lack of evidence freely available to the public.[11][12][13]
Bobi’s age was certified at first with the Portuguese government's pet database.[14] However, further investigation revealed that the database never required proof of birth for dogs born before 2008. It also was speculated that the photographs shared of Bobi at a young age were of a different dog due to its markings, but this has never been completely confirmed.
In January 2024, Bobi's title was suspended by Guinness World Records while they carried out their investigation.[15][16] A month later, Bobi's certification was revoked due to lack of evidence of his birth date.[2] Following the investigation of Bobi’s age, Guinness World Records stated they would require more proof when it came to verifying the oldest dog records and also stated that they would reassess any new evidence when it came to Bobi’s record.[17]
Later life and death
Bobi was not neutered.[18][undue weight? – discuss] The owners stated that Bobi was in reasonably good health for his age, although he had some troubles with walking, eyesight, and breathing. The Costas attributed Bobi's longevity to a "calm, peaceful environment" and consumption of fresh food rather than conventional dog food. His longevity has also been speculated to be caused by genetics, as his mother lived for 18 years.[19]
In honour of Bobi's 31st birthday, celebrated in 2023, 100 guests were invited to celebrate the occasion which was marked by eating meat and fish, with a performance by a troupe of dancers.[20]
Bobi reportedly died at home on 21 October 2023.[21][22]
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