'She was a once in a lifetime companion, and it was an honour to have had that blessing to have her'
The world’s oldest dog, Pebbles, has passed away just months after earning the title.
The Guinness World Records reported that the Toy Fox Terrier died from natural causes in her South Carolina home with her owners Bobby and Julie Gregory by her side on Monday.
“She was a once in a lifetime companion and it was our honor to to have had the blessing to have had her as a pet and a family member,” the couple said in a statement on the dog's
Instagram account.
Pebbels, who had over 7,000 followers, was crowned the oldest dog in May after her owners realised their precious pooch was older than the current title holder, a 21-year-old chihuahua named TobyKeith.
Pebbles was born on 28 March 2000, in Long Island, New York.
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"Bobby was sitting on the couch and friends and family started texting and calling about a story they saw about a 21-year-old dog getting the record," Julie told Guinness World Records.
"When I saw TobyKeith’s story all over the news, I applied."
The owners also told the organisation that when they were first looking for a dog they wanted a bigger breed. That was, until they laid eyes on Pebbles.
“She was jumping and barking so much at Bobby that he had no choice but to pick her up and check her out," Julie said, adding: "It was instant love the second the two met.”
Pebbles soon became the house matriarch as she birthed 32 puppies across three different litters with her mate, Rocky (also a Toy Fox Terrier), who passed away in 2017. He was 16.
Pebbles enjoyed listening to country music, the Gregorys said, favoring Conway Twitty and Dwight Yoakam; enjoyed trying new foods and being pampered.
For her last birthday, the family gave Pebbles a bubble bath and plate of ribs.
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In a press release announcing Pebble's death, Julie and Bobby said the dog had remained extremely active: “She spent her days enjoying country music and being loved.
"She enjoyed trying new foods, she was pampered, and most of all she was loved," the couple said.
They added: “Pebbles was not just another dog, she had her own way about her, and her own personality. She was a once in a lifetime companion, and it was an honour to have had that blessing to have her as a pet, and family member.
"There was no one who met Pebbles who didn’t love her.”
Many fans of the canine were deeply saddened by the news as one person wrote on Twitter: “RIP Pebbles.”
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