Portugal’s ‘Bobby’, who was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest dog, passed away after 31 years and 165 days.
According to the BBC and Reuters on the 23rd (local time), ‘Bobby’, a male of Portugal’s large herding dog ‘Japeiro do Alentejo’, died at home on the 21st.
Dr. Karen Becker, a veterinarian who treated Bobby several times, revealed this on social media and said, “11,478 days are never enough for those who loved Bobby.”
Born on May 11, 1992, Bobby was recognized as the world’s oldest dog by Guinness in February. He broke the record of Australia’s ‘Bluey’, who passed away in 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months.
The ‘Japeiro do Alentejo’, the same species as Bobi, has an average lifespan of 12 to 14 years. Bobby, whose life expectancy far exceeded the average, was directly monitored for his age by the Portuguese National Veterinary Association.
Bobby was born as one of four brothers in Conqueiros, a rural town on Portugal’s west coast, and lived with his owners, the Costa family.
It is said that Bobby was almost buried not long after he was born, but was lucky to survive.
Because there were so many animals in the Costa family’s home at the time, puppies were usually buried in holes when they were born, but in the case of Bobby, he avoided this by hiding in a pile of wood in an outbuilding. A few days later, she was found by Leonel and her brothers when she was 8 years old, and they secretly took care of her and brought her into their family.
Bobby was recognized as the world’s longest-living dog by Guinness Records. @PopBase X (Twitter) CaptureThe owner, Mr. Leonel, recalled his childhood memories in an interview with the media, saying, “I knew that once the dog opened its eyes, my parents would not be able to bury it.”
When Bobby was recognized as the world’s oldest person in February, Leonel said, “Other than being suddenly hospitalized in 2018 due to breathing difficulties, Bobby enjoyed a relatively comfortable life.”
However, he said that before he passed away recently, he could not walk well and his eyesight had deteriorated.
Dr. Becker asked Mr. Leonel the secret to Bobby’s longevity. To this, Mr. Leonel reportedly responded, “Good nutrition, constant contact with nature, freedom to explore the environment, constant care from a veterinarian, and love.”
“The dogs also ate what we ate,” he said. “However, Bobi’s food was soaked in water to remove the seasoning.”
Bobby’s longevity is said to be due to genes. Bobby’s mother dog lived to be 18 years old, and another dog in his family also lived to be 22 years old.
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.