Bobi, the world’s oldest dog, turns 31

The world’s oldest dog turned 31 on Thursday, and his owner threw a party to celebrate the milestone.

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Bobi, a Portuguese purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, or livestock guardian dog, was certified as the world’s oldest canine by Guinness World Records in February.

According to a news release, Bobi, who was born on May 12, 1992, has lived his entire life with the Costa family in the rural village of Conqueiros in Portugal.

Guinness said that the dog’s age has also been verified by SIAC, a pet database authorized by the Portuguese government and managed by the country’s National Union of Veterinarians.

Bobi’s owner, Leonel Costa, said the party was a “very traditional” Portuguesegathering, CNN reported.

Costa said life has been “hectic” for Bobi since he was verified on Jan. 10, 2023.

“We’ve had a lot of journalists and people come from all over the world to take a picture with Bobi,” Costa told Guinness. “They’ve come from all over Europe, as well as the USA and even Japan.”

However, the accelerated pace Bobi was experiencing concerned Costa, so he took the dog to a veterinarian to be sure that he was doing all right.

Happily, Bobi is doing well, Costa said.

“There were a lot of pictures taken and he had to get up and down many times. It wasn’t easy for him,” Costa told Guinness. “His health was a little damaged, but now it’s better.”

Costa said Bobi was born when he was an 8-year-old boy.

“Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother, or my grandparents who have already left this world,” Costa said. “Bobi represents those generations.”