GREENACRES, Fla. — All dog owners wish their four-legged besties could live as long as possible, but a pooch named TobyKeith is giving everyone hope.
The 21-year-old Florida Chihuahua has been confirmed as the world's oldest living dog by Guinness World Records. He was verified on March 16 at the age of 21 years and 66 days.
TobyKeith was just a few months old when he was adopted from a shelter by Gisela Shore, and they've been best buddies ever since.
"I was a volunteer at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue and one of the employees told me about an elderly couple trying to surrender a puppy because they could not take care of him any longer," Gisela told Guinness. "I met with the elderly couple and I was introduced to a tiny tan Chihuahua. They had named him Peanut Butter. I later changed his name to TobyKeith."
She suspected he could be the oldest dog alive when he turned 20 and she was thrilled when Guinness confirmed it last month. The normal life expectancy of a Chihuahua is 12 to 18 years.
Gisela also has two other dogs, an American bulldog named Luna and a Chinese Crested named Lala.
But TobyKeith is the star of the show.
"Tobykeith is my little bodyguard. Follows me everywhere. Lays on me while we watch TV. I adore him!"
Gisela also has two parrots, a 28-year-old umbrella cockatoo named Coco and a 32-year-old African Grey named Coqui.
She says TobyKeith loves all of his siblings, but has a special bond with Coco.
She believes TobyKeith’s continued health is helped by regular exercise and a healthy diet, consisting of vegetables, rice and chicken and no sugary treats.
