Portuguese dog Bobi stripped of 'oldest dog' title after Guinness Book of Records inquiry

In February 2023, Bobi, a resident of Conqueiros, Portugal, was acclaimed as the oldest dog globally. Unfortunately, he died a few months later in October. His owner, Leonel Costa, stated that the animal had lived for 31 years and 165 days.

The initial proof for this claim, as reported by the Guinness Book of Records, was a document issued in May 1992 by a local veterinarian shortly after Bobi's birth.

Shortly after Bobi's death, numerous doubts and conjectures started circulating on social media questioning whether he was in fact the oldest dog worldwide. This led representatives from the Guinness Book of Records to launch an investigation. The findings of this month-long probe have recently been announced.

"Due to the doubts raised by veterinarians and other experts, both privately and publicly, as well as the outcome of some media investigations, we decided to review Bobi's record," stated Mark McKinley, Director of Records at the Guinness Book of Records.

The investigation revealed there is no solid evidence to suggest Bobi was indeed 31 years old. Veterinarians pointed out that in human years, this would equate to around 200 years.

"The main consideration was the microchip data from the Portuguese SIAC database, which— in the case of a chip implanted in 2022— did not require age verification for dogs born before 2008," McKinley informed.

McKinley, the Director of Records at the Guinness Book of Records, further stated, "Therefore, there is no definitive evidence that can substantiate Bobi's date of birth."

Bobi's owner has been notified of the investigation's outcome. He declared that he would scrutinize all the new evidence. Presently, it is undetermined who truly holds the title of the oldest dog in history.

"We cannot yet confirm the new record holder, but we certainly hope that the media attention regarding the record title will encourage pet owners worldwide to get in touch with us," noted McKinley.