Guinness World Records’ ‘oldest dog that ever lived’ Bobi stripped of title because of lack of evidence

This image provided by Guinness World Records shows Bobi. Photo / AP

The oldest dog ever to have lived has been stripped of its title because of a lack of evidence, it has been announced.

Bobi, a member of the Rafeiro do Alentejo breed, died in Portugal in October 2023 at the alleged age of 31 years old.

href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/guinness-world-records-suspends-oldest-dog-ever-title-for-portuguese-canine-during-a-review/4PYVL3GMUNFGNDN2PCEFXUIFQU/" target="_blank">Concerns over the legitimacy of the claim led to an investigation being launched in January by the Guinness World Records (GWR) team.

The investigators have now found there was “no conclusive evidence” and therefore Bobi’s record was voided.

“Central to Bobi’s evidence was microchip data sourced from the Portuguese government database, the SIAC, which it transpires, when chipped in 2022, did not require proof of age for dogs born before 2008,” said Mark McKinley, director of records at GWR, who conducted the review.

“With the additional veterinary statement provided as evidence for Bobi’s age also citing this microchip data, we’re left with no conclusive evidence which can definitively prove Bobi’s date of birth.

This image provided by Guinness World Records shows Bobi. Photo / AP

Microchip data

“Without any conclusive evidence available to us right now, we simply can’t retain Bobi as the record holder and honestly claim to maintain the high standards we set ourselves.”

The organisation has now amended its criteria for oldest pet records to include documentation of every year of an animal’s life, until microchip data is ubiquitous and of sufficient duration to be used with confidence.

“It’s for this reason that we’re not yet in a position to confirm a new holder for the record, although we certainly hope that the publicity around the record title encourages pet owners from around the world to get in touch,” added McKinley.

Vets and experts had raised concerns about the claim that the dog, which has an average life expectancy of around 12 years of age, was in fact more than three decades old.

Scientists are understood to be analysing samples from Bobi in a bid to learn more about the animal’s age, function, and if there is anything that can be learned from the extreme lifespan.