Maggie, an Australian sheep dog, died peacefully, breaking record for oldest dog.
An Australian man, farmer Brian Mclaren, lost his best friend on April 20, 2016, but he had a record number of years with the canine. The previous Guinness world record of oldest dog was set by an Australian Cattle Dog, born in 1910, who lived to be 29 years old.
Maggie was believed to be 30 years old. Unfortunately, her original paperwork went missing, so her exact age has not been confirmed, but her dairy farmer owner says he got her 30 years ago. Which means Maggie might have been a bit older than 30 even!
Maggie was a Kelpie, otherwise known as an Australian sheep dog. She spent her life on a dairy farm in Woolsthorp, Victoria, Australia. Based on the seven-to-one human-to-dog-years ratio, Maggie was 210, a golden girl in human years.
Smaller dogs tend to have increased longevity compared to their larger canine brothers, but bigger Australian dog breeds have made a name for themselves in history books as world record holders in the age department. Owner Brian McLaren remarked:
"She was still going along nicely last week. She was walking from the dairy to the office and growling at the cats and all that sort of thing."
The night before she died, McLaren found Maggie curled up in her bed. By lunchtime the next day, he knew she didn't have much time left. McLaren reported that his faithful companion went to the rainbow bridge peacefully after a long life.
Maggie was buried near another beloved family dog in a marked grave under a pine tree.
What do you think of Maggie the oldest canine to ever live? Tell us in the comments below.
All images via Yuri Kouzmin via The Weekly Times
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