Bobi, a Portuguese Mastiff dog named the world's oldest ever by Guinness World Records (GWR), has been stripped off the title, according to People Magazine. The dog was given the title in February last year, but it was taken away posthumously after an investigation by GWR into the evidence of Bobi's age. The canine was said to be 31 years and 165 days when it was awarded the title. It died eight months later, in October 2023. The dog's birth was certified by the Portuguese government.
When compared the humans, the age at which Bobi died is equivalent to 200 human years.
But GWR launched an investigation after veterinarians and some other people claimed that the photo of Bobi in its young age showed it with white paws, while they were brown in the dog's later years.
In a statement, Mark McKinley, the director of records at GWR, announced the stripping of title.
"We take tremendous pride in ensuring as best we can the accuracy and integrity of all our record titles. Following concerns raised by vets and other experts, both privately as well as within public commentary, and the findings of investigations conducted by some media outlets, we felt it important to open a review into Bobi's record," Mr McKinley said.
After analysis of the dog's microchip data and checking with a veterinarian, GWR was "left with no conclusive evidence which can definitively prove Bobi's date of birth," People quoted Mr McKinley as saying in the statement.
"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," the statement concluded.
Bobi's owner has been informed that their late pet no longer holds the "oldest dog ever" title.
Before Bobi, the title of the world's oldest dog was awarded to Spike the chihuahua, from Ohio, who died at 23 years and seven days in 2022.
