Meet Bobi – officially the oldest dog in the world at over 30 years old

Leonel Costa was only eight years old when his dog was born in a tiny village in central Portugal three decades ago.

Little did he know that one day his beloved Bobi would be considered the oldest dog in the world.

When Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, celebrated his 30th birthday last year, Costa knew he had broken a record nearly a hundred years old, held by an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months .

Costa contacted Guinness World of Records, submitted all the paperwork and a year later Bobi was officially named the oldest registered dog.

Bobi was 30 years and 269 days old on February 4th.

“It’s a sense of pride that we can’t explain,” Costa, 38, told Reuters as he petted Bobi near a church in the village of Conqueiros in central Portugal.

“Some people told us we wouldn’t make it…but we knew Bobi’s age and were sure the trials would only prove what we already knew.”

The Guinness World of Records, which made the announcement on Thursday, described Bobi’s story as “wondrous”.

Bobi’s breed typically has a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, and Costa attributed the dog’s longevity to a number of factors, including living in a quiet countryside, never being chained or held on a leash, and always eating “human food.” .

“Of course, our love and affection throughout his life has also helped,” he said.

Although Bobi still loves walks, age is taking its toll: the dog is less adventurous, his coat is thinning, his eyesight has deteriorated and he needs more rest than he used to.

Costa hopes Bobi has many more years to live and is grateful the dog put the remote village of Conqueiros on the map.

“There were other animals here that lived long lives, but Bobi surpassed everything.”