Guinness World Records suspends ‘oldest dog ever’ title for Portuguese canine during a review

This image provided by Guinness World Records shows Bobi. Guinness World Records says the world’s oldest dog recently celebrated his 31st birthday. Bobi’s owner says a party was held on Saturday, May 13, 2023 for the purebred rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of Portuguese dog. Photo / AP

Guinness World Records says it has suspended the title of “oldest dog ever”, which was held by a Portuguese dog that died last year. The publication said it was reviewing the title after some veterinarians questioned his age.

Bobi, a reportedly 31-year-old guard dog, lived on a farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal with its owner, Leonel Costa. He was announced as the world’s oldest living dog and oldest dog ever last February. He was said to have been born on May 11, 1992. He died last October.

“While our review is ongoing, we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for oldest dog living and ever just until all of our findings are in place,” Guinness World Records told the Associated Press by email on Tuesday.

The group said it had received correspondence from some vets questioning the dog’s age and took note of public commentary from vets and other professional

Bobi was a purebred rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed that has an average life expectancy of some 10 to 14 years.

Calls to the dog’s owner rang unanswered and he didn’t respond to text messages.