"Severely Neglected" Chihuahua Abandoned in Supermarket Car Park Turns Out to Be "World's Oldest Dog"
“He makes the best of every day.”
A dog that was once abandoned in a supermarket parking lot not only survived but thrived—at 23 years old, Spike the chihuahua is officially the world's oldest dog. Rita Kimball and her family found the poor pup in August 2009 in a "severely neglected" state and took him home to their farm, where his life changed for the better. Here's what he had to survive to become the oldest dog in the world, according to the Guinness World Records.
Spike was found neglected and alone in a parking lot by Kimball, whose heart went out to the abandoned animal, The Telegraph reports. Kimball says Spike showed confidence in his new family right from the very start when she opened the car door. "Spike jumped right in and sat on the seat as if he knew where we were going. It was meant to be," she says.
Spike didn't escape from his early years unscathed. According to Kimball, the dog is hard of hearing and almost blind. This doesn't stop him from enjoying his day-to-day life on the Kimballs' farm in Camden, Ohio, where he wakes at 7 am every day.
Spike spends his days visiting the horses, cows, and cats on the farm. Despite multiple attacks from other animals, Spike survived to old age, even when the odds were stacked against him.
Kimball says she realized Spike was special when watching the Jimmy Fallon show. The episode featured a picture of a former oldest living dog, Guinness World Record holder, a dog that was actually younger than Spike.
"Most of our family knew that Spike was old, but (they) didn't know he had a shot at being oldest in the world," Kimball says. "Now that he is a (Guinness World Records title) holder, they look at him like a celebrity. They can't believe he lived this long. I believe he is still here because, after having such a terrible life at first, he makes the best of every day and now sees his rewards in his later years."
