RSPA Dog Candidate For Guinness Record

This interesting article was published in the Telegraph.co.uk.

A couple are trying to prove that their pet Labrador cross is the oldest dog in the world.

Bella the Labrador, they claim, is at least 29 years old, which would be about 200 years old in "dog years."

Unfortunately for owner David Richardson, although he got the mixed breed dog from an animal home about 26 years ago, the RSPCA said it does not have any records for Bella and the Guinness World Records said without the appropriate paperwork it could not be proved.

“I’m convinced she is the oldest dog in the world” said Mr Richardson, from Chesterfield.

For his claim to be substantiated Gareth Deaves, records manager from Guinness World Records, said “unless we can a doggy birth certificate or some really clear evidence from the RSPCA then we won’t be able to prove Bella’s age and we can’t list her as the oldest dog.”

The most recent record for the oldest dog was held by Butch, a 28-year-old from America who died in 2003, according to Mr Deaves.

With the prize for the oldest ever recorded dog going to Bluey, a sheepdog from Australia, who lived to 29 a startling 200 in canine years.

Do you have a doggie tale of great longevity?

Let Me Know Your Views

Given that Dogs are living to 200 canine years old, I am wondering if that makes a mockery of our assessment of dog years. Do you think we should adjust the numbers so that dogs only live to 100 "dog" years?

Are the dogs mention really the oldest dogs in the world, or just the oldest ones that people have registered with Guinness Book of Records?

If Dogs living this long becomes a trend is this going to put undue pressure on our dog health care systems? Will we see doggie retirement homes becoming neccessary as dogs out live their owners?