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Bobi, the world’s oldest dog, has died at 31 years old

ByKimberley Spinney|
LEIRIA, PORTUGAL - JULY 2: Leonel Costa, owner, cares his 31-year-old dog Bobi in Leiria, Portugal on July 2, 2023. Bobi holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog and has never been chained or leashed and has always enjoyed free roaming in the forests and farmland surrounding his owner's house. (Photo by Luis Boza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
LEIRIA, PORTUGAL - JULY 2: Leonel Costa, owner, cares his 31-year-old dog Bobi in Leiria, Portugal on July 2, 2023. Bobi holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog and has never been chained or leashed and has always enjoyed free roaming in the forests and farmland surrounding his owner's house. (Photo by Luis Boza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

When it comes to life expectancy, we all know that dogs are with us for only a short period of time. And then there was Bobi.

For anyone unfamiliar with Bobi, he was a Portuguese Mastiff from Portugal, who lived an impressive 31 years. This garnered him the official title of the world’s oldest dog. And yes, he made it into the Guinness Book of World Records because of his advanced age.

However, we are sad to learn that Bobi has passed away. According to Newsweek, his veterinarian has confirmed that the pup died on October 21 in a post shared to Facebook. In the post, Dr. Karen Becker shared, “Last night, this sweet boy earned his wings. Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him.”

The world’s oldest dog, Bobi, has passed away

Bobi
LEIRIA, PORTUGAL – JULY 2: Leonel Costa, owner, and 31-year-old dog Bobi pose with Guinness World Record certificates in Leiria, Portugal on July 2, 2023. Bobi holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog and has never been chained or leashed and has always enjoyed free roaming in the forests and farmland surrounding his owner’s house. (Photo by Luis Boza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

We can’t help but agree with Dr. Becker about the fact that 31 years wasn’t enough time. After all, we all wish our beloved pets would live forever.

Dr. Becker was apparently the person who broke the news because of how heartbroken his owner, Leonel Costa, was over his pup’s passing. And we can’t blame him. His dog has been there for nearly his entire life.

Bobi’s long life span has been attributed to a number of things, including where he lived and the diet that he ate, which included fresh human foods. In fact, Dr. Becker explained what she believed contributed to the dog’s 31 years,

"Bobi has only ever eaten homemade healthy fresh food, made daily. He’s never consumed ultra-processed ‘dog food’ from a bag. He lived in a low-stress environment with minimal/ no water, air, soil, light or noise pollution, and no chemical exposure."

Not only that, but for the most part Bobi lived outdoors, getting plenty of exercise and sunlight. He was able to socialize with other animals and basically lived the kind of life that we would see from older individuals who live into their 100s. Basically, his lifestyle allowed him to outlive so many other dogs before him.

And considering his rough beginnings and the fact that he was never meant to get passed puppyhood, the fact that he was able to live long enough to break world records makes him an even more iconic figure.

We are definitely saddened by the news of Bobi’s passing, and we hope that his owner finds a measure of comfort in the fact that his dog will never be forgotten.

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