World's oldest dog 'Bobby' dies at the age of 31

The world's oldest dog died at the age of 31 years and 165 days.

Bobi, born on May 11, 1992, was recognized by Guinness World Records (GWR) in February as the oldest dog ever.

Thoroughbred Rafeiro do Alentejo died on Saturday at his home in Portugal, where it spent its entire life with the Costa family.

Dr. Karen Baker, a veterinarian who met Bobby several times, confirmed the dog's passing on Facebook, saying: "Last night, this sweet boy got his wings."

Dr. Karen Baker wrote, "Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on Earth will never be enough for the people who loved him." He further wrote, "Godspeed, Bobby... you have taught the world everything you wanted."

In February, Bobby became the world's oldest living dog ever. He broke the record held by the Australian cattle dog Bluey, who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months. According to the BBC, Bobby's grand old age was validated by the Portuguese government's pet database, which is managed by the National Association of Veterinarians.

Bobby lived its entire life with Lionel Costa and his family in the rural village of Conqueiros in Portugal. It was born in an outhouse with three siblings, but Costa said the puppies had to be put down because his family had too many animals. But somehow Bobby managed to escape and started living in a rural house.

Costa, who was only eight years old when the dog was born, attributed Bobby's long life to the "quiet environment" he lived in "away from the cities." He said the dog always ate what we ate and was never chained or leashed.

Apart from a scare in 2018 when he was hospitalized after suddenly collapsing due to difficulty breathing, Costa said Bobby has enjoyed a relatively trouble-free life. But as he grew older, he became less mobile. According to Costa, before his death he had also experienced trouble walking and poor eyesight.

Bobby turned 31 in May, despite his breed's typical life expectancy being between 12 and 14 years. GWR wrote in their blog, "Bobby had many fans around the world – as evidenced by the more than 100 people who came to his 31st birthday party – and he will be greatly missed."