A dog is a man’s best friend took on new meaning on Saturday, October 23, as Bobi, the world’s oldest dog ever, died at the age of 31. The long-lived purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of Portuguese dog, held two Guinness world records, living over twice the life expectancy of his breed. His owner, Leonel Costa, attributed Bobi’s long life to the “calm, peaceful environment” where he lived.

Underneath the surface of his almost inconceivable lifespan, Bobi did not have an easy beginning and, under different circumstances, could have had an entirely different ending. When Bobi and his siblings were born, Costa’s father decided they already had too many pets and took the litter to be buried alive before they could open their eyes. However, sometime after, Costa and his siblings found Bobi alive, camouflaged among a pile of logs. By the time their parents discovered their children had kept Bobi a secret, he was too old to be put down and would go on to live a very fulfilling life.

 Junior Zac Schmidt said, “it’s really sad to see Bobi go, but it’s great to know that he lived such a long, happy life.” Bobi was truly one of a kind and captured the hearts of not only the Costa family but also many across the world. As Bobi’s veterinarian, Karen Becker, put it best, “despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on Earth would never be enough for those who loved him.”