Major celebrations are in order as the world's oldest dog is marking yet another birthday
Bobi — a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo from Portugal — celebrated his birthday yesterday and holds the Guinness World Records for both the oldest living dog and the oldest canine ever recorded.
According to owner Leonel Costa, the pooch is set to have a howling good time at his birthday party in the village of Conqueiros on Saturday where he will host 100 friends and fans from around the world.
Bobi - who is turning 31 - officially dethroned a Chihuahua named Spike to claim the oldest living dog title back in February.
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Costa told Guinness: “Looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother or my grandparents who have already left this world.
“Bobi represents those generations,” he said.
This good old boy comes from a line of long-living canines. His mom, Gira, lived to the ripe old age of 18, and another one of their dogs, Chicote, lived to be 22 - much longer than the Rafeiro do Alentejo's average lifespan of 12 years.
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And beyond his age, Bobi's story is a miraculous one.
He was born as one of four male pups in 1992 in an outbuilding owned by the Costa family.
"My father was a hunter, and we always had many dogs," Costa told Guinness.
But, due to the number of animals they already owned, his father decided that they couldn't keep the puppies.
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“Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive,” he explained.
The day after the puppies were born, Costa's parents took them while the pups' mother, Gira, wasn't around.
In the days that followed, he and his brothers noticed Gira frequently visiting the outbuilding where her puppies were born.
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They decided to follow Gira one day and discovered Bobi who'd accidentally been left behind.
“We knew that when the dog opened its eyes, my parents would no longer bury it,” he explained. “It was popular knowledge that this act could not or should be done.”
By the time his parents discovered Bobi, the pup had already opened his eyes and he soon became part of the family.
"When they found out that we already knew, they screamed a lot and punished us, but it was worth it and for a good reason!”
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When asked how Bobi has lived so long, Costa says that one of the biggest contributing factors is the 'calm, peaceful environment' he lives in.
He's always enjoyed free roam of the land surrounding the Costa family house and socialised with many other animals throughout his life.
Nowadays, this senior citizen is a little less adventurous but still enjoys hanging out in the yard with his feline friends and relaxing by the fire.
Happy birthday Bobi!
Topics: Dogs, Guinness World Records