Bobi (dog)
- Species: Canis familiaris
- Breed: Rafeiro do Alentejo
- Born: 11 May 1992
- Conqueiros, Leiria, Portugal
- Died: 21 October 2023 (aged 31)
- Known for: Oldest dog in history whose age can be verified
- Owner: Costa family
Bobi (11 May 1992 – 21 October 2023) was a male purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo dog cared for by Leonel Costa of Conqueiros, Leiria, Portugal. On 2 February 2023, Bobi was confirmed as the first dog on record to live to the age of 30, along with being the oldest dog on record to ever live. On 11 May 2023, Bobi turned 31.
Bobi’s age has been recorded in the Portuguese government’s pet database and certified by Guinness World Records.
His famliy attributed Bobi’s longevity to a “calm, peaceful environment” and consumption of fresh food rather than kibble.
Bobi was born as one of four male puppies in an outbuilding where his caretaker’s family stored wood. His brothers were all buried alive after birth due to Costa’s father not wanting to take care of more animals. Since Bobi blended in with the wood at birth, Costa’s father did not see him when he was collecting the puppies to bury.
According to Guinness World Records, Bobi is the oldest verified living dog as well as the oldest verified dog in history, being 30 years 266 days old as of evaluation on 1 February 2023, surpassing the previous record held by Bluey, a female Australian Cattle Dog from Victoria, Australia, aged 29 years and 5 months, which had been the record for over 83 years.
“One dog year is the equivalent of seven human years.” – American Kennel Club
The owners have stated that Bobi was in reasonably good health for his age, although he had trouble walking and possessed poor eyesight. Overall, he had a good run of health, despite collapsing due to breathing difficulties in 2018.
The Costas attributed Bobi’s longevity to a “calm, peaceful environment” and consumption of fresh food rather than conventional kibble. His longevity could also be attributed to his genetics, as Bobi’s mother lived to 18 years.
In honor of Bobi’s 31st birthday, 100 guests were invited to celebrate the occasion which was marked by eating meat and fish with a performance by a troupe of dancers. It was reported by Dr. Karen Becker that Bobi died on 21 October 2023, at the age of 31.
“Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough, for those who loved him.” Dr Karen Becker.
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Our favorite dog joke (which is really about the cat)
[Not independently verified for theological accuracy.]
A dog and a cat die and go to the gate of heaven. The Almighty looks down upon them from his throne and says to the dog, “have you always been a very good boy?”
The dog says, “oh yes, I followed every command to sit, stay, fetch, and roll over. I was always a very good boy!”
The Almighty turns to the cat and says, “how about you kitty, were you so well behaved, too?”
The cat glares back and grumbles, “you’re sitting in my chair.”
