A Portuguese breed of dog, named Bobi, who just celebrated his 31st birthday, was verified as the world's oldest dog ever.

Born on 11 May 1992, Bobi's age has been verified by the Portuguese government's pet database SIAC (Sistema de Informação de Animais de Companhia).

The elderly dog's owner, Leonel Costa, described his pet as "one of a kind". Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, and the breed has an average lifespan of only 12 to 14 years.

The previous record holder as the world's oldest dog was a cattle-dog in Australia named Bluey, who reached age 29 in 1939.