Meet Pebbles the terrier from South Carolina, the world’s oldest dog. How old is she?
A tiny dog from South Carolina now holds the record for the world’s oldest living pup, Guinness World Records announced on May 26.
Pebbles, a 4-pound toy fox terrier, is 22 years and 59 days old as of May 26. She was born on March 28, 2000, according to a news release from Guinness World Records.
“Pebbles has been with us through everything; ups and downs, good times and bad, and she has always been the beacon of our lives,” Julie Gregory, Pebble’s owner, told Guinness World Records.
Julie and Bobby Gregory, who live in Taylors, South Carolina, didn’t plan to submit Pebbles for a world record until they heard that the standing record was a 21-year-old Chihuahua, they told Guinness World Records.
“Bobby was sitting on the couch and friends and family started texting and calling about a story they saw about a 21-year-old dog getting the record,” Julie Gregory said, according to the release.
The Gregorys were planning on adopting a big dog, but Pebbles caught their eye in her enclosure more than two decades ago, they told Guinness World Records. Bobby Gregory noticed her “following him and running alongside her enclosure every time he would walk by.”
“It was instant love the second the two met,” Julie Gregory told Guinness World Records.
Pebbles has given birth to 24 puppies in three litters during her life, according to the release. Her lifelong partner, Rocky, died in 2017.
Pebbles enjoys snoozing and listening to country music in her old age, the Gregorys told Guinness World Records. In 2012, her veterinarian put her on a cat food diet due to the higher amount of meat-based protein in the food.
She still gets the occasional morsel of steak, hot dog or chicken from her owners, though, the release said. Pebbles’ owners said they celebrated her 22nd birthday by giving her a stack of ribs and a bubble bath.
Julie Gregory told Guinness World Records that Pebbles’ longevity is at least partially due to the amount of affection and attention she gets from her owners.
“Treat them like family because they are. Give them a happy positive environment as much as possible, good clean food and proper healthcare,” she told Guinness World Records.
Taylors is about 106 miles northwest of Columbia.
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