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Portuguese dog Bobi breaks record for oldest dog ever
Bobi's family believe his longevity is related to his peaceful countryside environment.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo has broken two records at once.

A 30-year-old Rafeiro do Alentejo has been officially named the world's oldest dog living, and the oldest dog ever by the Guinness World Records.

Bobi, born on 11 May 1992 in the village of Conqueiro, Portugal, has lived with the same family all his life. Indeed, owner Leonel Costa was only eight years old when Bobi was born, and lives with him to this day.

Registered with Serviço Medico-Veterinário do Município de Leiria (Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria) in 1992, Bobi is aged 30 years and 266 days old as of 1 February 2023.

Verified by both Serviço Medico-Veterinário do Município de Leiria and the Portuguese government, Bobi's extraordinary age makes him the oldest dog ever to be recorded.

Described by his owners as calm and sociable, Bobi has lived with many animals throughout his life and loves to play with the four cats he currently lives with. 

Leonel discussed his dog's long life: “Bobi has been a warrior for all these years, only he knows how he's been holding on, it must not be easy because the average dog’s life span is not that high and if he spoke only he could explain this success.

“We are very happy and grateful to life for allowing us, after 30 years, to have Bobi in our daily lives.”

Having had only one health scare in 2018, Bobi's daily life is just like that of any other dog. He loves walking around the farmland where he lives and relaxing by the fireplace on cold days. Bobi mostly eats the same food as his owners, with care taken to soak the food in water to remove the seasoning first. 

Bobi has taken over the record for the oldest dog ever from an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who lived to 29 years and five months old. He takes the title of oldest dog living from Spike, an Ohio-based canine aged 23 years and seven months old, as verified in December 2022.

Leonel continued: “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. Bobi represents those generations.”

For the full story on Bobi's life, visit the Guinness World Records website.

 

Images (C) GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.