241
Guinness World Records (GWR) has officially revoked the title of “oldest dog ever” from Bobi, a Portuguese dog, due to inconclusive evidence surrounding his age.
Bobi, who held the honor from February to October 2023, passed away at the reported age of 31. However, following subsequent investigations by GWR, doubts arose regarding the veracity of Bobi’s parched age. Mark McKinley, GWR’s director of records, announced the decision in a recent statement.
“Ensuring the accuracy and integrity of all our record titles is a task we take seriously,” McKinley expressed. Concerns raised by veterinarians, experts, and some media investigations prompted the organization to review Bobi’s record.
Despite data provided, including Bobi’s microchip information and a veterinarian’s statement, GWR could not garner conclusive proof of Bobi’s birth date. He stated, “Without solid evidence, we simply can’t maintain Bobi as the record holder while upholding our self-set standards.”
The pet’s owner has been notified about the decision to strip Bobi’s “oldest dog ever” title posthumously. This news has also been reported by The Associated Press and Forbes.
Bobi, reportedly born on May 11, 1992, was a guard dog on a farm in the village of Conqueiros, Portugal. Questions over Bobi’s age verification surfaced after Wired published a story suggesting inconsistencies between GWR’s claims and the records of the Portuguese government’s pet database and the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria.
Meanwhile, CNN disclosed that Bobi belonged to the Rafeiro do Alentejo breed, known to have a life expectancy of 12-14 years.
McKinley admitted that while it may take time to crown a new “oldest dog ever” due to the worldwide lagging in pet microchipping, especially for older pets, GWR invites pet owners to contact them. He emphasized that they require evidence through all years of a pet’s life for the title, along with consulting veterinarians and cross-verifying microchip data.
In the wake of Bobi’s title revocation, no other dog has been named the new “oldest dog ever”.
Advertisements
