23-year-old chihuahua from Ohio claims the world record as oldest living dog
Spike poses for a photograph next to the Guinness certificate.
Small dog, big record. A chihuahua in Ohio has been named the oldest dog living. The dog, Spike, was found in the parking lot of a grocery store in Camden, Ohio, by Rita Kimball.
Little did Rita know that Spike would be her pet over 13 years later and enter the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest living dog.
Guinness authorities confirmed that as of Dec.7, 2022, Spike was 23 years and 43 days old.
The dog stands at 9 inches tall and weighs just 5.85kg.
Rita told Guinness that Spike was in bad shape when she found him. He had bloodstains around his neck and half of his body was shaved off. The grocery store staff said that the dog has been out in the cold for three days, and they were feeding him scraps.
Rita took the pup home and nurtured him back to life. She said that, “My guy was small, but he had the attitude of a big dog.”
In fact, the only time Spike ever bears his infamous chihuahua personality is when he’s petted by a stranger.
Rita said he’s almost blind and has hearing difficulty; he gets aggressive at times and just wants to be left alone.
When being asked what does it take for a canine to reach a staggering 23 years of age, Rita recalled one solid routine.
Spike begins his day between 7am and 7:30 am. On summer time, he takes walks together along with his cherished Rita around their rural hometown.
“He visits with the animals within the barn: cows, horses, and barn cats,” stated Rita.
After his morning stroll, Spike heads again to the residence where he naps at the porch and prepares for the day ahead.
Occasionally, he has a beef sausage with cheese for dinner and often indulges in his preferred chips.
He loves Doritos, recalled Rita.
Spike’s favourite pastimes are napping, playing cat and mouse with the housecat Foxxy, and hiding his toy fox around the house.
Rita said it was during an episode of Jimmy Fallon where she heard the news of former oldest living dog Pebbles and realised that Spike was actually older.
“Most of our own circle of relatives knew that Spike was old however didn’t recognise he had a shot at being the oldest in the world,” stated Rita.
“Now that he's a record holder, they see him as a celebrity.”
Rita advises people with fuzzy pals to provide their puppy a healthful diet, room to roam, each day exercise, and limitless love and attention.
