Twenty years ago, a stray dog named Gino was adopted from an animal shelter in Colorado. Today, he is the oldest living dog in the world, according to Guinness World Records.
Gino was born in Boulder, Colorado on September 24, 2000. Two years later he was adopted by Alex Wolf, a southern California native who was attending college out of state at the time.
Geno is a much-loved, lucky dog. In his prime, he got to enjoy the snowy winters in Colorado and then spent his summers sunbathing and living his best life in sunny Southern California with his owner. According to Wolf:
“When he was younger, he used to love exploring my parents’ huge backyard with our other dogs in Manhattan Beach, going on walks off the leash in Venice, going on drives along the coast blasting music with his head out the window, or running around on the golf course in La Quinta.”
You don’t get to be the oldest living dog by accident and Alex obviously took very good care of Gino, who weighs in at 16 pounds. He’s now considered a geriatric dog, but despite his age, Gino is still in pretty good shape. Wolf said:
"I've taken great care of him over the years and he is still in relatively very good shape and really cute still, which is surprising considering his age."
Wolf credits Gino’s good health to a healthy diet of human-grade food and routine veterinary care. But he also credits Geno for his own longevity, he said:
“I give him all the credit,” Wolf shared with TODAY, reiterating the 22-year-old is a “strong” dog.
We’re sure Wolf had no idea that one day his rescue pup would be recognized as the oldest living dog. Not only did he take great care of his dog, but he also enriched Geno’s life by showing him lots of love and giving him a life full of adventure.
No one knows how much longer Geno will be here. But one thing is for sure, he was adored and cared for every day of his life after his adoption. He certainly is living his best life and will be by Wolf’s side until the end.
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