But Guinness World Records is reviewing the records after questions arose about Bobi's age, Wired, The Guardian and CNN reported.
The dog's age had been confirmed through a 1992 registration with the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria and the Portuguese pet database SIAC.
But some veterinarians were skeptical.
"Not a single one of my veterinary colleagues believe Bobi was actually 31 years old," Danny Chambers, a vet and council member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, told The Guardian.
Eurico Cabral, a coordinator at SIAC, confirmed to Wired that Bobi was registered on July 3, 2022, and that the dog's owner declared that he had been born in 1992. But Cabral said SIAC could neither confirm nor deny the dog's age.
Others noted photos of Bobi when he was younger, pointing out that his fur seemed different and questioning whether it was the same dog. Sheila Schmutz, a professor of animal and poultry science at the University of Saskatchewan, said it's "not absolutely clear" whether the photos are of the same dog.
Guinness World Records has temporarily paused applications for oldest dog living and oldest dog ever while its review is ongoing. In the meantime, Bobi is still listed on the organization's website.
"We're aware of the questions surrounding the legitimacy of the record and are reviewing them," Alina Polianskaya, a spokesperson for Guinness World Records told Wired.
"I'll come back to you when we have further info to share."
