Suspicion has emerged that the age of ‘Bobby’, the dog that made a stir around the world by being known as the world’s longest-living dog at 31 years old, may have been fabricated.
According to the New York Post on the 16th (local time), Guinness World Records (Guinness World Records) announced that it would stop certifying Bobby, the Portuguese dog who died in October last year, as the ‘world’s oldest dog’ and begin a review after controversy arose over the age.
Bobby, known to have been born on May 11, 1992, died on October 21 last year and was recorded as having lived for 31 years and 165 days. Bobby’s breed is the Hafei Lu breed from Portugal, and his average lifespan is said to be around 12 to 14 years.
The reason why Bobby was able to be registered as the longest-living dog is because his official date of birth was recorded by the veterinary service in Leiria, Portugal, and SIAC, Portugal’s official pet database.
However, this record is unreliable because it can be entered solely through the applicant’s report without any special inspection or certification. Additionally, since Bobby’s exact age cannot be estimated using the genetic test he received, there is criticism that there is a lack of data to verify Bobby’s age.
Netizens commented on the published photo, saying it was Bobby’s childhood, and pointed out that while young Bobby’s feet were white, in the recent photo, his feet were brown.
“Not a single one of my veterinary colleagues believes that Bobby is actually 31 years old,” Danny Chambers, a veterinarian at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, told the Guardian.
He said, “Veterinarians are a profession based on science,” and pointed out, “If the Guinness Book of World Records is to gain trust from the perspective of the veterinary community, it must publish irrefutable evidence.”
The Guinness Book of World Records is paying careful attention to selecting the title of ‘Longest Living Dog’ by re-examining existing submissions and confirming with relevant experts.
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.