(UPI) Guinness World Records said it has revoked the title of oldest dog ever from Bobi, a dog who was purportedly 31 when he died in October 2023.

Mark McKinley, director of records at GWR, said Bobi's title was revoked after an investigation was conducted in accordance with the record-keeping organization's review and appeals process.

"Following concerns raised by vets and other experts, both privately as well as within public commentary, and the findings of investigations conducted by some media outlets, we felt it important to open a review into Bobi's record," McKinley said in a news release.

He said the investigation found there was insufficient evidence of Bobi's age.

McKinley said the evidence submitted for Bobi's age was all sourced to microchip data from the Portuguese government database. The probe found Bobi's microchip was installed in 2022, when Portugal did not require proof of age for dogs born prior to 2008.

"With the additional veterinary statement provided as evidence for Bobi's age also citing this microchip data, we're left with no conclusive evidence which can definitively prove Bobi's date of birth," McKinley said. Without any conclusive evidence available to us right now, we simply can't retain Bobi as the record holder and honestly claim to maintain the high standards we set ourselves.

He said Bobi's owner, Leonel Costa, has been informed of the decision, and GWR will "gladly assess any new evidence should we receive any."

McKinley said the organization has not yet determined a new holder of the title.

Some experts had previously expressed skepticism about Bobi's claimed age.

"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.

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