In his 30s, Bobi, who lives in a small village in central Portugal, suddenly found fame after being recognized as the world’s oldest dog by Guinness World Records.
“We didn’t expect such a welcome!”, Leonel Costa, his 38-year-old owner, wonders, who for several days has been lined up with visits from the curious and interviews with the media from all over the world.
This very sociable brown-haired pet weighing 29 kilos lives surrounded by cats in a house in Conqueiros, a small village near Leiria, in the center of the country.
Bobi’s peaceful life has been turned upside down since Guinness announced earlier in February listing world records.
The oldest dog was 30 years and 266 days when its longevity was confirmed on February 1, making it the oldest dog ever.
The Rafeiro is a breed of dog that typically has an average lifespan of between 12 and 14 years, Guinness recalls.
“I wanted his age to be recognized,” confides Leonel Costa AFP, barely 8 years old when Bobi, the only one of the four puppies rescued at birth, joined the family.
After a long process in which he had to submit “photos, vet reports” or “examination results”, Guinness finally made the positive decision.
When asked about the secret of this extraordinary longevity, Leonel Costa explains it mainly with the peaceful environment in which Bobi lives and the “diversified diet” based on “meat and fish” prepared at home.
“He always ate what we ate,” he emphasizes.
However, Bobi’s record raises many questions.
“I can’t say it’s impossible, but it’s strange” because in the published pictures he doesn’t seem to be showing the signs of a very old dog, like “mobility issues” or at least the level of “muscle mass”. , explains veterinarian Miguel Figueiredo at the Joao XXI clinic in Lisbon to AFP.
He was particularly concerned “about the misunderstanding about the life expectancy of a dog that could spread to the general public”. “We shouldn’t get our hopes up!” he warns.