Bobi, the world’s oldest dog, has died. He passed away on Saturday at his home in Portugal. He was 31 years and 165 days old at the time of his death.
Remembering the world’s oldest dog
According to the BBC, Bobi was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo. Born in an outbuilding in the village of Conqueiros on the west coast of Portugal, Bobi had three siblings. Their family, the Costas, already had too many animals and planned to put the puppies down. Luckily, Bobi escaped. Then 8-year-old Leonel Costa, along with his brothers, cared for the puppy in secret. Eventually, their parents discovered the dog was still alive. Thankfully, they welcomed the pup into the family.
Bobi lived a healthy, happy life. The only major health scare was in 2018, when Bobi had difficulty breathing and collapsed. A hospital stay helped get the fur baby back on his feet. Costa attributed Bobi’s long life to the “calm, peaceful environment” of the family.
Sadly, as Bobi aged, he experienced difficulty walking and his eyesight deteriorated. But Bobi’s mother lived to the ripe old age of 18. Another of the Costa family’s dogs passed away at 22. So, perhaps it is unsurprising that Bobi outlived them both. He died on Oct. 20, 2023, in an animal hospital.
Veterinarian celebrates Bobi
Dr. Karen Becker, a veterinarian who knew Bobi, announced the dog’s death on social media.
“Last night, this sweet boy earned his wings,” she wrote in an Instagram post featuring pictures of the senior dog. “Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough, for those who loved him.”
She continued: “When we asked Leonel what his recipe was for Bobi’s exceptionally long life, his response was swift: ‘Good nutrition, constant contact with nature, freedom to discover his environment, consistent veterinary care, and love.’ Bobi knows he’s deeply loved.”
Dr. Becker concluded: “Godspeed, Bobi…you’ve taught the world all you were meant to teach.”
In February, Bobi became the world’s oldest living dog according to Guinness World Records. The closest record holder to Bobi was Bluey, a dog from Australia. Bluey died at the age of 28 years and five months in 1939. (There was another dog, 30-year-old Maggie, vying for the title of world’s oldest dog in 2016, but her dog dad didn’t have the paperwork to prove her age.)
Bobi’s record-breaking age was verified by a government pet database managed by the National Union of Veterinarians.
It is unknown who Bobi’s successor as oldest living dog will be.
