The Guinness World Records (GWR) is one of the most prestigious honours in the globe. The coveted award comprises several categories and criteria, which must be fulfilled by the recipients before filing the nominations. In a recent revelation, a canine that was named the world’s oldest dog has lost its title after GWR launched an investigation. The dog named Bobi, from Portugal, was said to have been 31 years and 165 days old when it was awarded the title in February 2023. Reports suggest the canine died eight months later, in October 2023. Its birth was certified by the Portuguese government, but now doubts are being raised over whether Bobi was the only dog to reach such a grand old age, as per the Sky News report.
When compared to humans, the age at which Bobi died is equivalent to 200 human years. GWR is now probing whether the claim that the Portuguese dog lived to 31 years and 165 days is correct or false. The investigation was launched after veterinarians and some other people claimed that the photo of Bobi at its young age showed it with white paws, while they were brown in the dog’s later years.
So, GWR said it’s withdrawing the title till the investigation is complete, a report by Sky News further suggests. “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 spokeswoman told The Times.
The publication said it appeared his grand old age may have instead been due to slack fact-checking. As per an old report of The Guardian, Bobi’s age was registered on the national pet database based on owners’ self-certification. It also said that the genetic testing Bobi received merely confirmed the dog was old, rather than its precise age.
A specific photo of Bobi clicked in 1999, is under intense scrutiny. It shows the dog has different coloured paws when compared to the dog that died on October 21, 2023.
Danny Chambers, a vet and council member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, told The Guardian, “Of the 18,000 members of the Veterinary Voices group, not a single one believed Bobi was actually 31 years old.”
A purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo dog named Bobi was named not only the world’s oldest dog living but also the world’s oldest dog ever by the GWR. Rafeiro do Alentejo dogs are a breed of livestock guardian dog that have an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, according to the Guinness World Records’ official website. Before Bobi, the title of the world’s oldest dog was awarded to Spike the chihuahua, from Ohio, who died at 23 years and seven days in 2022.
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