Bobby, the holder of the Guinness World Record for the oldest dog, from Portugal, has passed away after 31 years and 165 days.
BBC, Reuters, and others reported on the 23rd (local time) that Bobby, a male of the large livestock dog breed ‘Rafeiro do Alentejo’, died at home on the 21st.
Dr. Karen Becker, a veterinarian who has seen Bobby several times, posted on social media, “For those who loved Bobby, 11,478 days were never enough.”
Bobby, born on May 11, 1992, was recognized as the world’s oldest dog by Guinness in February this year. He broke the record set by Bluey of Australia, who died at the age of 29 years and 5 months in 1939.
Bobby’s age was verified from a government database managed by the Portuguese National Veterinary Association.
The average lifespan of this breed is 12 to 14 years, according to Sky News.
Bobby was born in Conkeiros, a rural village on the west coast of Portugal, and lived his entire life with the Costa family.
Bobby almost died shortly after birth, but was lucky to survive.
At that time, the Costa family had too many animals, so they typically buried puppies in a pit when they were born.
However, Bobby was fortunate to hide in a pile of wood in the annex, and was discovered and secretly cared for by 8-year-old Leonel and his brothers before being accepted as part of the family.
Leonel told Reuters, “Once a dog opens its eyes, we knew our parents couldn’t bury it.”
In February, when Bobby’s Guinness record was recognized, Leonel said that aside from a sudden hospitalization due to respiratory problems in 2018, Bobby had enjoyed a relatively comfortable life.
However, before he died, he had trouble walking and his vision deteriorated.
Dr. Becker said, “When I asked Leonel about Bobby’s secret to longevity, the immediate answer was ‘good nutrition, constant contact with nature, freedom to explore the environment, regular veterinary care, and love. Bobby knew he was much loved.'”
Leonel said, “Our dogs ate what we ate,” but he added that he soaked Bobby’s food in water to remove any seasoning, according to The Guardian.
Bobby’s mother also lived until she was 18, and another family dog lived to be 22, showing a trend of longevity.
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