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Uncle Chichi, Unofficial World's Oldest Dog, Dies After Living More Than 24 Years (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post     First Posted: 01/23/12 06:00 PM ET Updated: 01/24/12 01:00 PM ET

Uncle Chichi, a lovable toy poodle from New York's West Village believed to have possibly been the world's oldest dog, passed away Tuesday following a tough bout with cancer, The New York Times reports.

Though the dog's exact age was not known, it is believed Chichi lived to be somewhere between 24 and 26-years-old, according to the Associated Press.

Owners Frank Pavich and Janet Puhalovic made the tough decision to put the pooch down.

Natives of South Carolina, the couple adopted Chichi from the John Ancrum Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Charleston when he was one or two-years-old, according to his official Facebook page.

Records and photos proving his age were lost, making it impossible to determine whether he was officially the world's oldest dog, according to Gothamist.

The Guinness Book of World Record's requires official birth certificates and official documents for claiming such titles.

Despite losing his vision and his hearing, Chichi lived a full life.

A frequent international traveler, the adorable pet not only visited Croatia for his owners' wedding, but he had also traveled to Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, and France, according to the Village Voice.

Pusuke, a 26-year-old Shiba mix from Japan, previously held the title for the world's oldest dog until he died in December of 2011.

The oldest dog to have ever lived is reportedly a 29-year-old sheepdog who lived in Australia.

 
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Elvira Walker
09:40 AM on 01/26/2012
Aww, I hope that my Zygi lives to be that old. So precious. I am certain that his owners will miss him madly.
03:05 PM on 01/25/2012
Dogs get more out of their sense of smell than they do their sight. Assuming he was loved as much as it seems like he was, I'm sure there was plenty to enjoy. A warm sunbeam, a tasty treat, interesting smells, and the petting and affection from his owners. It's nearly as much as any dog enjoys.
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Elvira Walker
09:43 AM on 01/26/2012
Absolutely. He lived a wonderful dog's life.
01:40 PM on 01/25/2012
"Piglet" My Wonder Dog! As a passionate dog lover, I send condolences to the owner of "ChiChi." Reading about ChiChi brought back the memories of my beloved pet, "Piglet." On my 20th Birthday I woke up to the sounds of a small high pitched squeaking. As I followed the sound, it brought me to behind the wastebasket in the bathroom. There to my shock was my Mother's favorite pet poodle, "Suzy" holding the strangest black "thing" in her mouth. I went to her slowly thinking Suzy had caught a mouse, but to my delight she had given birth to the most pathetic looking pup I had ever seen. Suzy had gotten out one night many weeks before, came home looking like she had been dragged though a bush backwards. Her night on the town gave me my best friend for 20 years. I was gifted with the greatest "circus" dog. I took him every where with me, and though my youthful years of growing from a teenager to a young adult, Piglet took the journey with me. He died in my arms at the age of 20. That day I lost my best friend. I have been blessed with other pets that have given me their love and devotion, but nothing will replace this little guy who helped me grow up!
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Elvira Walker
09:42 AM on 01/26/2012
There is absolutely no love like an animal's love. Unconditional.
09:04 AM on 01/25/2012
So they had a deaf and blind dog, sounds like animal cruelty to me. What kind of quality of life could that dog have had. seems like the owners just liked the notoriety of having the worlds oldest dog.
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Elvira Walker
09:42 AM on 01/26/2012
Love always gives you the best quality of life. He had the best. I would do the exact same thing. But, of course, you have to be an animal lover to understand this.