Bobi, the world’s oldest dog ever, passed away over the weekend, just months after his 31st birthday.
The long-lived canine’s death was confirmed on Facebook by Dr. Karen Becker, a veterinarian who treated Bobi on several occasions.
“Last night, this sweet boy earned his wings,” she wrote in the touching tribute. “Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough, for those who loved him. Godspeed, Bobi…you’ve taught the world all you were meant to teach.”
Guinness World Records revealed that the purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo died on October 21 at his home in Conqueiros, Portugal, where he had lived his entire life with the Costa family.
Bobi, who was born on May 11, 1992, was reportedly 31 years and 165 days old at the time of his death (the typical dog’s lifespan is 10-13 years).
Guinness officially acknowledged the herding dog as the world’s oldest living and oldest ever canine in February 2023.
“We see situations like this as a normal result of the life that they have, but Bobi is one of a kind,” owner Leonel Costa, 38, said after Bobi was awarded his record.
The Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria, which originally registered the canine in 1992, as well as the SIAC, Portugal’s National Union of Veterinarians, validated the Dog’s senior age.
The previous record was held by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog that died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months.
