Bobi, a Portuguese Rafeiro do Alentejo, was the oldest dog verified by Guinness World Records.

The oldest dog in the world, a Portuguese Rafeiro do Alentejo dog named Bobi, has died at the age of 31, or about 217 in dog years.

Owner Leonel Costa announced on Monday that Bobi had passed away in a veterinary hospital over the weekend, at the age of 31 years and 165 days.

“Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him,” said Karen Becker, a veterinarian who met Bobi several times and who was the first to announce his death on social media. “Godspeed, Bobi.”

Some sad news to bring you this Monday morning 😢

Bobi recently celebrated his 31st birthday and was the oldest dog ever officially verified by Guinness World Records.

— Guinness World Records (@GWR) October 23, 2023

Bobi’s breed, commonly used as sheepdogs, typically live between 10 and 14 years. He was declared the world’s oldest dog in February of this year, and broke a former record held since 1939 by an Australian cattle dog that lived to be 29 years and five months old.

Bobi spent the entirety of his long life in the village of Conqueiros in central Portugal, and Costa said that his youthfulness could be attributed to a number of factors, including fresh countryside air and plenty of affection from those who loved him.

Costa also said that he never kept Bobi on a leash, and made sure he had good food.

“Bobi eats what we eat,” Costa told the Associated Press in an interview earlier this year.

In a statement on Monday, Guinness World Records said it was “saddened to learn of the death of Bobi, the world’s oldest dog ever”.

The statement adds that more than 100 people attended Bobi’s 31st birthday earlier this year.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies