- Check this story for the latest drama from the old dog scene.
Being the world’s oldest anything is a double-edged sword. Sure, you get the fame and recognition for surviving that long, but it also means you probably don’t have very long left to enjoy them.
That was the story with Bobi. Guinness World Records crowned the Portuguese good boy as the world’s oldest dog in February 2023.
He passed away the following October while still holding that title. At the time of his death, Bobi had reached the ripe old age of 31.
Or had he?
A group of veterinarians and other animal experts recently submitted a letter to Guinness World Records (GWR) questioning whether Bobi really was that old. They cited the lack of officially verified records and photographs showing strange color changes in Bobi as proof that his owners may have exaggerated his age.
Faced with the accusations, GWR has stripped Bobi of his title — at least for the time being. The organization is carrying out an investigation to figure out how old Bobi actually was when he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
So, who was Bobi? And how old was he? Let’s take a look at what we know.
Dodging Death
Bobi was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a Portuguese breed of livestock guardian dogs. According to the Costa family who owned Bobi, he was born in a small outbuilding on their farm in 1992.
The newborn puppy’s life was almost cut short right after birth, though.
Leonel Costa explained that the family already had a lot of dogs when Bobi and his three siblings were born. As such, his father decided that the family couldn’t afford this newest litter.
“Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home … to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive,” Costa told GWR.
That was the sad fate that befell three of the newborn puppies. Yet, their mother, Gira, still kept going to the outbuilding every day.
“We found the situation strange, because if the animals were no longer there, why would she go there?” said Costa.
He and his brothers followed Gira to the building and discovered their parents had missed one puppy. Since killing puppies was no longer acceptable after they had opened their eyes, the kids determined to keep Bobi a secret from their parents.
Eventually, Bobi’s cover was blown. But since the puppy’s eyes were already bright and open, the Costa parents had no choice but to welcome the dog to the family.
“When they found out that we already knew, they screamed a lot and punished us, but it was worth it and for a good reason!” Costa recalled.
The Oldest of Boys
The years rolled by and Bobi grew from a bright-eyed puppy to a venerable senior. And then he just kept getting older.
The dog’s longevity astounded the Costa family. They attributed Bobi’s long life to his freedom — the dog had never been on a leash and could roam freely around the Costa farm.
In early 2022, Bobi came to the knowledge of GWR. After a lengthy review, the world record organization determined that Bobi was the oldest living dog in the world.
Actually, he wasn’t only that. He was the oldest known dog to have ever lived.
Despite the recognition he received, though, there was no mistaking the fact that Bobi had gotten much older than his kind was ever meant to be. And so, eight months later, Bobi died.
He wasn’t a lonely old man, however. In May 2023, more than 100 people came to celebrate this good boy’s 31st birthday.
Poking Holes in the Story
Bobi’s story is a touching one — but it may not be true. At least that’s what a group of veterinarians has claimed in a letter they submitted to GWR.
According to them, there’s something fishy about Bobi. The first questionable thing is the lack of reliable proof of his age.
Bobi’s birth year is registered in Portugal’s national animal and pet database, and GWR’s record review relies on this registration. The system, however, conducts no official checks and assumes owners report their animals’ ages accurately.
During the GWR review, they did a genetic test on Bobi to verify his age. The results prove Bobi is old —but not exactly how old.
Veterinarians have also pointed out that Rafeiro do Alentejo dogs typically live to be 14 years old at most. They say it’s practically impossible for this kind of dog to get as old as Bobi was supposed to be.
Finally, old pictures of Bobi show a brown dog with white paws. Yet those taken just before his death depict a dog with brown paws.
Could it be that the Costas had reported Bobi’s birthdate inaccurately? Or is the dog who received the GWR title a completely different dog altogether?
The Costa family insists that there is no foul play and Bobi was exactly as old as they claim. GWR, however, has decided that a more detailed investigation is necessary.
As such, they have suspended Bobi’s title while their experts verify all details about Bobi’s life. In addition, GWR is currently not accepting new applications for the title of the world’s oldest dog.
Even if there has been fraud, we can be sure Bobi himself had no part in it. He was just a good old boy, no matter what his actual age was.