Maggie The Kelpie, 'World's Oldest Dog,' Dead At 30

She would have been about 164 in human years.

A Kelpie that may have been the oldest dog ever died in her bed on Sunday in Woolsthorpe, Australia.

Brian McLaren told the local Weekly Times newspaper that his dog Maggie lived to the remarkable age of 30.

"She was still going along nicely last week," McLaren reportedly said. "She was walking from the dairy to the office and growling at the cats and all that sort of thing.”

According to the American Kennel Club, Maggie would have been about 164 years old in human years (the American Veterinary Medical Association said the whole 1 dog year = 7 human years thing is a myth).

Last year, 7 News Perth did a story on Maggie, who at the time was believed to be 29 years old.

"We're good friends," McLaren told the station. "We've grown up together."

He said Maggie was deaf, but in otherwise good health. Until two days ago.

"The best thing about it is the last couple of weeks I was petrified I was going to have to put her down, and that was going to break my heart," McLaren told Australia's ABC News. "I'm so pleased she went the way she went."

McLaren recalled the dog's loyalty, saying that Maggie would wait for the kids to come home from school each day.

"When the kids were growing up they'd get off the bus at 4:10 p.m. and if they weren't, she'd be there barking at 4:15," McLaren told ABC.

McLaren doesn't have any documents that prove Maggie reached 30, but said she joined the family when his son -- now 34 -- was just 4 years old.

Because of the lack of paperwork, however, Maggie's record is unofficial.

The official record-holder for the "world's oldest dog" is Bluey, an Australian cattle-dog who died at the age of 29 years and 5 months old in 1939, according to Guinness World Records.

"Most dogs live for 8 to 15 years, and authentic records of dogs living over 20 years are rare and generally involve the smaller breeds," the organization said.

(h/t Mashable)

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