A Chihuahua in Camden, Ohio, is truly top dog with Guinness World Records ― at least where age is concerned.
Spike has just been declared the “world’s oldest living dog” by the records adjudicating authority, which logged his age at 23 years and 7 days back in December.
Advertisement
Pebbles, a toy fox terrier that previously held the record, died in October, five months before her 23rd birthday.
Spike’s owner, Rita Kimball, said she never expected her beloved pet would become a canine Methuselah when he first joined the family 13 years ago. He was scrounging around the parking lot of a local grocery store when he decided to adopt the Kimballs.
From the looks of it, Spike’s early years were tough, Kimball told Guinness World Records.
“He had been shaved up his back, had blood stains around his neck from a chain or rope, and looked pretty rough,” she said. “The clerk in the grocery told us he had been there for three days, and they were feeding him scraps.”
Advertisement
Spike, a 23-year-old Chihuahua living in Camden, Ohio, is the world's oldest living dog, according to Guinness World Records.
Guinness World Records
A vet determined the little dog was already 10 years old by the time the Kimballs found him.
Rita Kimball told Guinness she named him “Spike” because “he had the attitude of a big dog.”
“He is friendly but since he’s almost blind and hard of hearing, he gets testy at times and just wants to be left alone,” she said.
Despite his advanced age, Spike remains active and often takes walks with Kimball around the farm.
“He visits with the animals in the barn: cows, horses, and barn cats,” she said.
“When he was younger, he tried intimidating the cows and horses by barking and trying to chase them. Now they just stare at him and don’t even move.”
Kimball said she had no idea Spike was a record-setter until she saw Jimmy Fallon talk about Pebbles on his show and realized her pooch was possibly older.
“Most of our family knew that Spike was old, but didn’t know he had a shot at being the oldest in the world,” Kimball told Guinness World Records. “Now that he is a record holder, they see him as a celebrity.”
Advertisement
Support HuffPost
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Our News, Politics and Culture teams invest time and care working on hard-hitting investigations and researched analyses, along with quick but robust daily takes. Our Life, Health and Shopping desks provide you with well-researched, expert-vetted information you need to live your best life, while HuffPost Personal, Voices and Opinion center real stories from real people.
Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way.
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. A vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why HuffPost's journalism is free for everyone, not just those who can afford expensive paywalls.
We cannot do this without your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why we keep our journalism free for everyone, even as most other newsrooms have retreated behind expensive paywalls.
Our newsroom continues to bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes on one of the most consequential elections in recent history. Reporting on the current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly — and we need your help.
Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.