A 31-year-old dog that had been declared the world’s oldest dog ever has died, it has been announced.
A purebred Rafeiro Alentejano who spent his entire life in a village in central Portugal, Bobi died over the weekend, his owner told The Associated Press.
Bobi lived on a farm in the village of Conqueiros with four cats. He was born on May 11, 1992, when his owner, Leonel Costa, was just eight years old.
Officials at the Guinness World Records on Monday said they were “saddened to learn of the death of Bobi, the world’s oldest dog ever”. In a statement on their website, they said Bobi lived to be 31 years and 165 days old and died on Saturday.
Bobi claimed the Guinness World Record from Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, who died in 1939 aged 29 and five months.
The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a breed of Portuguese dog that has an average life expectancy of ten to 14 years.
“Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him,” said Karen Becker, a veterinarian who met Bobi several times and who was the first to announce his death on social media. “Godspeed, Bobi.”
In an interview earlier this year, Costa told The Associated Press that Bobi’s secret to a long life was good food, fresh air and lots of love.
“Bobi eats what we eat,” said Costa, adding Bobi had never been put on a leash.