Pebbles, a toy fox terrier certified as the oldest living dog in May this year, has died at the age of 22—the equivalent of more than 120 years of age for a human, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association's calculations. According to an Instagram post from owners Bobby and Julie Gregory, Pebbles was born in New York on March 28, 2000, and had lived in South Carolina since 2007, ABC7 reports. She lived a "long happy life full of love" and had 32 puppies with her partner, Rocky, who died in 2016, her owners said. "She was a once in a lifetime companion, and it was our honor to have had the blessing to have had her as a pet, and family member," they wrote.
The Gregorys had initially planned to adopt a large dog but there was "instant love" when Bobby met Pebbles, who weighed around 4 pounds, they told the Guinness Book of World Records earlier this year. They said they contacted Guinness in May when "friends and family started texting and calling about a story they saw about a 21-year-old dog getting the record." That dog, a Chihuahua in Florida named TobyKeith, was more than nine months younger than Pebbles, USA Today reports. The Gregorys said Pebbles' vet put her on a cat food diet 10 years ago, but she was allowed the occasional hot dog or hamburger—and had a stack of ribs as a treat for her 22nd birthday.
The Gregorys told Guinness that while Pebbles loved sunshine and got plenty of exercise, her daily routine could be mistaken for that of a party animal—she generally stayed up all night and slept most of the day, and loved listening to country music. Asked what the key to helping a dog live a long life is, Julie Gregory said, "Treat them like family, because they are. Give them a happy, positive environment as much as possible, good clean food, and proper health care." More on Pebbles here, from a report earlier this year. (More dogs stories.)
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