Guinness World Records (GWR) has rescinded the title of the “world’s oldest dog” previously awarded to Bobi, a Portuguese canine, following uncertainties regarding his age. GWR announced on Thursday (February 22) that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that Bobi had lived for over 30 years.
The decision came after several veterinarians raised concerns about the validity of Bobi’s age. Last month, GWR initiated a formal review of the title bestowed upon Bobi in February of the previous year, when it declared him to be 30 years and 243 days old. This announcement had surpassed the previous record held since 1939 by an Australian cattle-dog that lived to be 29 years and five months old.
Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro Alentejano from a village in central Portugal, passed away in October. Despite the initial declaration, the breed typically has a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.
Mark McKinley, the director of records at GWR, stated that the evidence provided for Bobi’s age primarily relied on microchip data sourced from the official Portuguese database. However, it was revealed that the chipping process did not necessitate proof of age for dogs born before 2008.
Leonel Costa, Bobi’s owner, has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the revocation of the title.