The recent announcement of a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo named Bobi as the world’s oldest dog has ignited a controversy that has captured the attention of the global community. At 31 years and 165 days, Bobi was presented as a remarkable outlier in the canine world, surpassing the previous record set by an Australian hound named Bluey in 1939. However, questions surrounding Bobi’s age have prompted an investigation and subsequently led to the suspension of his title by the Guinness Book of World Records.
An investigation by Wired revealed that Bobi had only been officially registered in the Portuguese government’s database in July 2022, with the owner’s word being the sole evidence of his age. Moreover, concerns about Bobi’s weight have sparked skepticism among veterinary experts, who question the plausibility of a dog with excessive weight living for such an extraordinary length of time.
The controversy has escalated to the point where the Guinness World Records has taken the unprecedented step of suspending both the record titles for oldest living dog and ever, pending the conclusion of their investigation. In response, Bobi’s owner, Leonel Costa, vehemently defended his dog’s title and accused a faction within the veterinary world of conspiring against him due to the unconventional diet he fed to his pet.
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