Although many of our beloved canine companions may not be blessed with the same longevity as us humans, it is always inspirational to hear about those who manage to live long and healthy life. Some are even privileged enough to claim the title of being the oldest dog in existence – a true testament to their vigor and vitality!
Spike, a 23-year-old Chihuahua, has stolen the show as well as the title of the oldest living dog in the world by Guinness World Records!
Guinness World Records confirmed that Spike was 23 years and 43 days old at the time of December 7, 2022 – making him officially older than Gino who had earned the title of oldest in November.
Rita Kimball of Camden, Ohio had the pleasure of adopting Super-senior Spike after discovering him mistreated and abandoned in a grocery store parking lot. Despite his difficult beginning in life, this future record holder has flourished under Rita’s care and affection.
Rita informed Guinness World Records that the dog “had been shaved up his back, had blood stains around his neck likely from a chain or rope, and he appeared quite disheveled.” The grocery store clerk then revealed to Rita and her family that the canine had already been in their establishment for the past three days with them providing him scraps of food.
As she watched Spike follow her out of the store parking lot, a twinkle lit up in her eyes as she knew that this was just the start of an extraordinary connection. She didn’t hesitate to take him home with her right away and it’s been beautiful ever since.
She gave her “little but feisty” pup the ironic name of Spike: “It was a word that typically would be associated with big dogs, however, my little guy had all the heart and courage of one.”
When Rita adopted 10-year-old Spike, she certainly couldn’t have predicted he would be part of her life for an additional 13 years.
For many years, Spike has had an enjoyable daily lifestyle on the farm. Every morning he wakes up early to greet his barn friends and accompany his owner through her tasks for the day.
Rita joyfully described the busy life on a farm to me, saying “There’s never a dull moment! We cut timber, tidy up fence rows, bale hay, and collect crops. Spike has been fortunate enough to experience it all – he’s ridden tractors with us, sat in the combine while we harvest crops, and helped out when we chop wood.”
Little did Rita know that her sweet pup, Spike, could become a world record holder until she caught an episode of Jimmy Fallon and noticed it was older than her current oldest dog Pebbles.
Rita exclaimed to Guinness that the family was aware of Spike’s advancing age, but unlikely expected him to be a record holder. Now he is admired in the household as if they were a nearby A-list celebrity!
Although twelve years have gone by and his sight and hearing are diminishing, Spike is still the same loving pup at heart – as evidenced when people chat with him; his tail joyfully wags in response. He may act grumpy occasionally, but that’s just old age kicking in!
In the recent year, TobyKeith – a 21-year-old Chihuahua – had been crowned as the world’s oldest living dog. However, only weeks later Pebbles took over this title proudly being 22 years of age!
However, in October, Pebbles sadly passed away and TobyKeith expectedly took the crown once more – that is until Gino surprisingly became known to be even older than him.
Now, the record has been passed on to a new owner. Nonetheless, every one of these dogs is remarkable and a demonstration of how love and proper care can make them live far beyond their expected life span.
Congrats to Spike for making history and becoming the world’s oldest dog! It’s a remarkable accomplishment that deserves tremendous recognition.