MANILA, Philippines — Rita Kimball never thought that the stray chihuahua she saw at a grocery would last to 23 years under her family's care in their barn in Ohio, United States.
Named Spike after the cartoon show that features a bulldog and his aggressive behavior, Kimball said she named her new fur baby after it due to his demeanor despite his tiny size.
"Spike was a name for a large dog. My guy was small, but he had the attitude of a big dog,” said Kimball to Guiness World of Record.
Spike is 23 years and 43 days old as of Dec. 7, 2022. He stands at 9 inches (22.86 cm) tall and weighs just 12.9 pounds (5.85 kg), according to the Guiness World of Record.
The records body has declared Spike as the world's oldest dog, taking the record from Gino, the 22-year-old mixed breed from Los Angeles, California.
Kimball recalled the first time she saw Spike when he was 10 years old.
“He had been shaved up his back, had blood stains around his neck from a chain or rope, and looked pretty rough,” shared Rita
The store clerk said that Spike had been in their grocery for three days and they were feeding him scraps.
“When we left the store and entered the parking lot, he followed,” she said. “We opened the car door to put our grandson in his car seat, and Spike jumped right in and sat on the seat, as if he knew where we was [sic] going. It was meant to be.”
Kimball described their little pet as almost blind and hard of hearing. During his early days, Spike loved Doritos.
"In his early years, he loved Doritos,” the pet parent shared. “He liked them crunched up and would eat the cheese Doritos every time we had them.”
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