Guinness Record | Bobi, 30, crowned world dean of dogs

(Leiria) Aged over 30, Bobi, who lives in a small village in central Portugal, suddenly rose to fame after being recognized as the oldest dog in the world by Guinness World Records.

“We did not expect such a welcome! “, is still surprised Leonel Costa, its 38-year-old owner, who has been chaining visits from curious people and interviews with the media from all over the world for several days.

This very sociable brown-haired pet, weighing 29 kilos, lives surrounded by cats in a house in Conqueiros, a small village near Leiria, in the center of the country.

Bobi’s peaceful life has been turned upside down since the announcement in early February of Guinness, which lists world records.

The oldest dog was 30 years and 266 days old when his longevity was certified on 1^er last February, becoming at the same time the oldest dog of all time.

The Rafeiro is a breed of dog that normally has a life expectancy between 12 and 14 years on average, recalls Guinness.

“I wanted his age to be recognized,” confides to AFP Leonel Costa, barely 8 years old when Bobi, the only one of the four puppies to have been saved at birth, entered the family.

After a long process during which he had to provide “photos, veterinarian reports” or even “examination results”, the favorable decision of Guinness finally fell.

Asked about the secret of this exceptional longevity, Leonel Costa explains it above all by the peaceful environment in which Bobi lives and the “varied diet” prepared at home, based on “meat and fish”.

“He always ate what we eat,” he says.

Bobi’s record, however, raises many questions.

“I can’t say it’s impossible, but it’s curious”, because from the images released, he does not seem to show the signs of a very old dog, such as “mobility problems” or at least level “of muscle mass”, explains to AFP Miguel Figueiredo veterinarian in the Joao XXI clinic in Lisbon.

He is particularly concerned “about the misconception about the life expectancy of a dog, which could pass to the general public”. “We should not give false hopes! “, he warns.