Bobi, Guinness World Records' 'Oldest dog,' loses title amid investigation
Bobi, the record holder of the Guinness World Record “Oldest Dog Ever” has lost its title, as an investigation into its background has been undertaken.
In a report by The Times, it was stated that doubts had been raised as some questioned the difference between the colors of Bobi’s paws on the photos said to be from his younger years (white) and later on (brown).
“While our review is ongoing we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for 'oldest dog living' and 'oldest dog ever,’ just until all of our findings are in place," a spokesperson from the Guinness World Records told the outlet.
Born in May 1992, Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo from Portugal, was 30 years old when he was named the oldest dog in the world in February 2023. The breed of Rafeiro do Alentejo is expected to have a life expectancy of only 12 to 14 years.
His birth was confirmed by the Portuguese government's pet database and by the National Union of Veterinarians during that time.
However, according to an investigation by Wired published in December 2023, it was revealed that Bobi has only been registered in the database since 2022. Pe
SIAC, a Portuguese government database for registered pets, told Wired that Bobi's owner declared that he was born in 1992 but there were no registration or data to confirm it.
The mandatory registration of dogs born before 2008 in Portugal only started in October 2020. However, Wired reported that while there is still a possibility of Bobi being born in 1992, the owner cannot prove this due to the lack of paperwork.
Bobi died in October 2023 reportedly at the age of 31.