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Ed. Note: The Guinness Book of World Records rescinded Bobi’s title of world’s oldest dog in February 2024.
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Bobi, the world’s oldest dog, just keeps getting older.
In February, Guinness World Records crowned Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo from rural Portugal, both the oldest living dog and oldest dog to ever live. On May 11, the elderly pooch reached a new milestone and celebrated his 31st birthday, as per a press release from the record keeper.
Bobi’s family and his owner, Leonel Costa, planned a large birthday party for the odds-defying dog. The “very traditional” Portuguese party saw more than 100 attendees come to celebrate Bobi with dancing and a wide array of local meats and fish — only the best for Bobi, who does not eat dog food. Many guests crossed international borders to come to the party, according to Guinness.
At the party, Bobi even participated in a dance alongside a dance troupe.
“We’ve had a lot of journalists and people come from all over the world to take a picture with Bobi,” Costa said of Bobi’s newfound fame. “They’ve come from all over Europe, as well as the USA and even Japan.”
Costa said Bobi remains in good health, though he did see a vet recently for a check-up, as his family was concerned about the dog’s mental and physical stress amid his seemingly constant flow of adoring visitors.
The 38-year-old owner told Guinness he views Bobi as a representation of their family generations, some of whom have passed before Bobi.
“Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother, or my grandparents who have already left this world,” he said.
The average lifespan of Bobi’s breed is about 12 to 14 years, according to Guinness.
Bobi’s family said he is known as a well-mannered, peaceful pooch. He was born in May 1992 to a hunting dog owned by the Costa family in the Portuguese village Conqueiros.
Costa told Guinness he has several theories to potentially explain why Bobi has lived so long. The purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo grew up in a peaceful, rural area, a considerable distance from any nearby cities.
He has always been allowed to roam free and has never been chained or leashed. Bobi eats a clean diet of unseasoned “human food” and drinks a litre of water every day.
Though Guinness claims Bobi is “less adventurous” in his old age, he can often be found sunbathing with his four cat friends in the yard. In recent years Bobi’s eyesight has deteriorated and he often bumps into things while he walks, but he is otherwise healthy, especially considering his advanced age.
Before Bobi, an Australian cattle dog named Bluey held the record for the oldest dog to ever live. Bluey, born in 1910, was 29 years and five months old at the time of his death in 1939.
Happy birthday, Bobi!
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