Guinness World Records (GWR) has posthumously removed Bobi the dog‘s title as the world’s oldest dog due to a contentious dispute surrounding his true age. The elderly Rafeiro do Alentejo from Conqueiros, Portugal, passed away in October 2023, reportedly at the age of 31 years and 165 days.
The controversy emerged when doubts were raised about the validity of the evidence supporting Bobi’s claimed age. GWR conducted an investigation last month, concluding that the provided microchip data, initially believed to substantiate Bobi’s age, was insufficient to uphold the prestigious title granted in February of the previous year.
Despite the breed typically having a life expectancy of 12-14 years, Bobi’s age was asserted to be an impressive 30 years at the time of receiving the award. GWR, however, could not establish definitive proof of his actual date of birth and thus made the decision to revoke the record.
GWR expressed their position, stating, “We’re left with no conclusive evidence which can definitively prove Bobi’s date of birth. Without any conclusive evidence available to us right now, we simply can’t retain Bobi as the record holder.”
Bobi’s owner, Leonel Costa, has yet to comment on the removal of the record. Previously, he dismissed suspicions about the accuracy of Bobi’s age as “unfounded.” Notably, the organization has not identified a new record holder, leaving the title momentarily vacant.
Last month, Danny Chambers of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons told the Guardian that “not a single one” of his veterinary colleagues believed Bobi actually lived to the claimed age of 31. The previous holder of the title for the oldest dog was Australia’s Bluey, who passed away in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months.
