Pusuke, who lived with his owner, in Sakura, a city outside Tokyo, died on Monday after suddenly falling ill and refusing to eat.
Owner Yumiko Shinohara said she “would just like to thank him for staying alive so long.”
Pusuke’s life span would have been the equivalent of about 125 years for a human.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the dog was born April 1, 1985. Pusuke was recognized as the world’s oldest living dog last December. The Guinness record for canine longevity is 29 years, set by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939.
Pusuke almost didn’t make it into the record books. In 2008, the dog suffered serious injuries after being hit by a car.
Even though a veterinarian told Shinohara to fear the worst, Pusuke pulled through surgery.
