THE title of the world's oldest canine, held by Bobi the Dog, has been temporarily suspended by Guinness World Records due to doubts arising on his actual age.
Bobi passed away in October last year at the official age of 31 years and 165 days, eight months after Guinness declared him the world's oldest dog ever.
The Portuguese Rafeiro, typically with a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, had broken a century-old record previously held by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939 aged 29 years and five months.
The suspension is in place while Guinness reviews the situation, but no specific reasons for suspicion were mentioned.
While doubters pointed out differences in the colour of Bobi's feet in various photos and questioned his appearance, Guinness World Records emphasized that the suspension is temporary and part of an ongoing review.
Bobi, born on May 11, 1992, survived early challenges, as his owners initially intended to give away the litter of puppies, leaving him behind.
He was never chained up or put on a lead and used to roam the woods around the village before he got too old to move much and spent his days lolling around the yard with the family cats.
Bobi freely roamed the village until old age restricted his movement, spending his later days leisurely with the family cats.
