Spike the Chihuahua is officially the world’s oldest dog aged 23

Spike the Chihuahua is officially the world’s oldest dog after reaching the ripe old age of 23.

Born in November 1999, Spike, from Ohio, US, achieved the prestigious title on December 7.

He is older than the camera phone, Facebook, YouTube and three contestants on this year’s Love Island.

Spike was found abandoned in the car park of a local supermarket in 2009 by his now owner Rita Kimball.

Rita said Spike looked severely neglected, and she couldn’t bear to leave him behind, saying the dog, ‘jumped right in the car and sat on the seat, as if he knew where we were going, it was meant to be’.

Almost 14 years later, despite being partially blind and hard of hearing, Spike remains a beloved member of the family.

Rita realised Spike might be a record holder when she was watching Jimmy Fallon one evening and saw a picture of Pebbles, the former oldest living dog, who was younger than Spike.

She said: ‘Most of our family knew that Spike was old, but they didn’t know he had a shot at being the oldest in the world.

‘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.’

Rita believes it was his tough start in life which has led him to live 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,’ she said.

The oldest dog ever recorded was Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who lived in Victoria, Australia.

She lived for 29 years and five months, and had an active life herding sheep and cattle.

She died in 1939.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.