At 30, Bobi breaks record for world’s oldest dog ever

A 30-year-old dog who lives in Portugal has been named the world’s oldest by Guinness World Records (GWR).

Born on May 11, 1992, Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo — a breed that has an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.

As of Wednesday when he was awarded the title, the “one of a kind” dog was 30 years 266 days old.

Bobi beat the previous record held by Bluey, an Australian dog who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months.

According to the GWR, his age has been verified by the Portuguese government’s pet database, which is managed by the National Union of Veterinarians.

Bobi has lived his whole life with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, near Portugal’s west coast.

He was born when the family already had enough animals to cope with and it was considered normal to bury unwanted pets.

“Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home […] to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive,” Leonel Costa, one of the family members, said.

Costa also said the secret to Bobi’s longevity lies in the peaceful environment he lives in.

“Bobi has enjoyed a relatively trouble-free life and believes the secret to his longevity is the calm, peaceful environment he lives in,” he added.