Bobi, the dog identified by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest dog in February, breathed his last on Saturday – and that in the place where he was happiest: at his home in the rural town of Conqueiros in Portugal.
Bobi was 31 years and 165 days old. He was a genuine Rafeiro do Alentejo – a dog breed with an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years – and was a member of the Costa family in Conqueiros all his life.
Bobi’s death was officially announced by dr. Karen Becker, a veterinarian who has examined Bobi several times before, confirms
“Last night this sweet little boy earned his angel wings,” Becker wrote on Facebook.
“Even if he outlived every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him. Bobi… you taught the world everything you had to.”
Bobi had many fans all over the world – as was evident from the huge group of people who turned up at his 31st birthday party.
RNews reported earlier that Bobi was born as one of four boys in an outbuilding where the Costa family stored wood. Due to the number of animals the family already had, Leonel Costa’s (38), Bobi’s owner, father decided that they could not keep the newborn puppies and were planning to put the young puppies down.
The day after the puppies were born, Leonel’s parents took the puppies away while their mother, Gira, was away. However, in their haste they did not realize that they had left one of the puppies behind.
Leonel and his brother later discovered Bobi in the outbuilding and kept his existence a secret from their parents until the woof’s eyes would open.
Little did this family realize that this four-legged 31 years later would still be like a child in the house.
Leonel thinks one of the biggest contributing factors to Bobi’s ripe old age is the “calm, peaceful environment” he lived in, “far from the busy city”. He was never chained or on a leash, and always roamed freely on the family’s farm.
Bobi also ate the kind of food Costa family ate all his life.
