Becoming a Guinness World Record holder is an extraordinary achievement, as it means that something has reached the pinnacle in the world! Recently, the official organization announced the world's longest-lived dog, who set a new record at 30 years and 266 days old.
This record-breaking dog is named Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo (Alentejo Mastiff). According to statistics, the average lifespan of this breed is around 12 to 14 years, so reaching the remarkable age of 30 is truly exceptional. Bobi lives with his owner, Leonel Costa, who has been with him since Bobi was eight years old. They have been companions for a very long time.
Currently, Bobi's health is still fairly good, although his vision has gradually deteriorated due to aging, and he has some difficulty walking. He usually spends his days in the garden with the family's cats.
Leonel Costa shared with the media that it was not easy for Bobi to live with the family. Recalling his childhood, Leonel said his father was a hunter, and the family often kept dogs. However, because there were too many puppies born at one time, they decided not to keep four of them. The local tradition in Leiria, Portugal, was to bury the puppies alive to prevent them from surviving. On the day they planned to do this, Leonel took the puppies away while the mother dog was out. They realized one puppy was missing and found Bobi hiding in the wood storage shed at home. From then on, Bobi lived with the family.
Bobi's birth was officially registered in 1992 at a local veterinary clinic, confirming his birth date. Since then, he has lived with the family ever since.
Leonel believes Bobi's extraordinary longevity is likely due to living in a quiet rural environment, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Bobi has never worn a leash at home and, as a puppy, would freely run into nearby forests to play and stroll through surrounding farmland after meals. This carefree lifestyle might be one of the reasons for his long life.
Another important factor is Bobi's diet. Leonel explained that Bobi has mostly eaten human food throughout his life. Whatever the family eats, Bobi eats too, although seasoned foods are avoided or rinsed thoroughly to remove spices before giving them to him.
Before Bobi, the record for the longest-lived dog was held by Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog who lived to 29 years old. Now, Bobi, at 30 years and 266 days (as of the record update date), holds the title of the longest-lived dog ever recorded.
