There is no evidence to support that Bobi, a Portuguese mastiff who died in October 2023, died at the age of 31. That is the conclusion of the investigation that was open until this Thursday by the Guinness World Records (GWR) organization, which has announced that it has withdrawn the title of the oldest dog in the world, awarded in February 2023.
“The review, conducted in accordance with GWR’s review and appeal process, concluded that GWR no longer has the evidence it needs to support Bobi’s claim as a record holder,” the organization explains in a statement.
This resolution comes after GWR suspended applications for the titles of oldest living dog in the world and longest living dog in history in mid-January until doubts about Bobi, raised by several veterinarians who did not believe he could having lived so long.
Given these complaints, the organization in charge of certifying world records decided to open an investigation. Documents and dog data have been reviewed and interviews have also been held with close people.
A central element “was the microchip data obtained from the Portuguese government database, the SIAC.” “When the chip was placed in 2022, proof of age was not required for dogs born before 2008. With the additional veterinary declaration, we are left with no conclusive evidence that can definitively prove Bobi’s date of birth,” explains the director of GWR Records, Mark McKinley.
Following the withdrawal of the record, McKinley indicated that they are not yet in a position to declare a new title holder. The person in charge explains that the new applications will be carefully reviewed: “We maintain the high standards we set for ourselves.”
Bobi was recognized in February 2023 with the Guinness record for the oldest dog in the world to date, a title that gave him worldwide fame and that motivated hundreds of people to visit him in the last months of his life. His breed, known in Portugal as “rafeiro do Alentejo”, has a life expectancy of about 13 years.
