Rita Kimball found Spike, a tiny 10-year-old Chihuahua, in a grocery store parking lot in Camden, Ohio, USA. Little did she know that she was adopting what is now the oldest living dog in the world, as Guinness World Records (GTW) has just certified. This animal turned 23 years old on December 7. There is no dog as old as him in the whole world.
Spike is a tiny chihuahua who stands 9 inches tall and weighs just 12 pounds. It is named after a cartoon dog known for its size and aggressive disposition, although that character has nothing to do with this animal. “My dog ??seemed to be the complete opposite; he was small and friendly, so I thought I seemed to fit him,” the owner explains to this organization.
She acknowledges that the name was more appropriate for a large animal. “Spike was a name for a big dog. My guy was little, but he had the attitude of a big dog,” she notes. He is a friendly pet, who even tolerates caresses from strangers.
However, age does not pass in vain. “He’s friendly, but since he’s nearly blind and hard of hearing, sometimes he gets irritable and just wants to be left alone,” Rita admits.
Rita picked up Spike in a grocery store parking lot in Camden. When she found him, his back was shaved, he had blood stains around his neck from a chain or rope and he was not in the best condition. “The clerk at the grocery store told us that he had been there for three days and they were feeding him leftovers,” she continues.
He didn’t know if he owned it or not, but this woman didn’t care either. She rescued him and brought him to her little farm. The key to keep adding years: a healthy routine. Spike starts the day very early at seven in the morning, he has breakfast and on weekends he visits the rest of the animals. “When he was younger, he tried to intimidate the cows and horses by barking and trying to chase them,” says his owner. Then he comes home and takes a nap. He also has time to play mouse with Foxxy, the family’s house cat.
Spike has become the oldest dog in the world, according to Guinness World Records, by chance. During an episode of Jimmy Fallon, this woman heard the news that Pebbles, the oldest dog at the time, had passed away: “Most of our family knew Spike was older, but they didn’t know he had a chance to be the oldest.” of the world”. “Now that he has a record, they see him as a celebrity,” she concludes.
