Bobi, once celebrated as the world’s oldest dog, has had his prestigious title revoked amid controversy surrounding his true age.

Hailing from Portugal, Bobi was acclaimed as the world’s oldest canine by Guinness World Records in February of last year, purportedly reaching the remarkable age of 30 years and 268 days before his passing in October 2023, reportedly at the age of 31 years and 165 days.

However, doubts regarding Bobi’s actual age surfaced, prompting GWR to launch an investigation into the Portuguese pooch’s records, despite his purported birth being authenticated by the Portuguese government’s pet database and the National Union of Veterinarians.

Bobi, a proud representative of the Rafeiro do Alentejo breed known for its role as a livestock guardian dog, typically boasts an average lifespan of 12 to 14 years. His ascension to the title of the world’s oldest canine marked a significant milestone, dethroning an Australian cattle dog that held the record since 1939, passing away at the age of 29 years and five months.

Mark McKinley, GWR’s director of records, expressed the challenge in validating Bobi’s age, noting that while microchip data retrieved from the official Portuguese database initially seemed promising, it ultimately lacked the required proof of age for dogs born before 2008. McKinley elaborated that even the veterinary statement, which cited the microchip data as evidence, couldn’t conclusively verify Bobi’s date of birth.

“With the additional veterinary statement provided as evidence for Bobi’s age also citing this microchip data, we’re left with no conclusive evidence which can definitively prove Bobi’s date of birth

“Without any conclusive evidence available to us right now, we simply can’t retain Bobi as the record holder and honestly claim to maintain the high standards we set ourselves,” he wrote.

In light of the insufficient evidence, GWR made the difficult decision to strip Bobi of his record title, upholding the organization’s commitment to maintaining rigorous standards. Despite attempts to reach out to Bobi’s owner, Leonel Costa, for comment, no response was received.

In a statement sent via email in January, Costa defended Bobi’s record, highlighting the year-long scrutiny undertaken by Guinness World Records to authenticate the claim. 

However, without concrete evidence, Bobi’s legacy as the world’s oldest dog remains contested.