‘Oldest ever dog,’ Bobi, has title suspended amid investigation

By Issy Ronald | CNN

The world’s “oldest ever dog” Bobi, who died in October reportedly aged 31, has provisionally lost his title as Guinness World Records (GWR) investigates his age, a spokesperson for the company told CNN on Tuesday.

“While our review is ongoing we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for oldest dog living & ever just until all of our findings are in place,” the spokesperson said.

Bobi’s age had initially been confirmed by Serviço Medico-Veterinário do Município de Leiria (Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria), which said he had been registered in 1992 while SIAC, a Portuguese government-authorized pet database, verified this, according to GWR’s February announcement of the record.

He was reportedly 31 years and 165 days old when he died in October.

However, suspicions began to emerge soon after Bobi’s death regarding the evidence that reportedly proved his true age.

A spokesperson told CNN Tuesday that GWR’s formal review occurs when a record title is challenged and involves analyzing existing evidence, seeking new evidence, reaching out to experts and those linked to the original application.

Bobi’s owner Leonel Costa, who said he was 8 years old when his dog was born in 1992, told GWR in February that there were many secrets to the dog’s extraordinary old age.

Bobi always roamed freely, without a leash or chain, lived in a “calm, peaceful” environment and ate human food soaked in water to remove seasonings, Costa said.