Pebbles, oldest living dog in the world, dies at 22

She was a good dog for decades, but now the world must say good-bye to Pebbles.

The 22-year-old toy fox terrier from South Carolina, famous for being the oldest living dog in the world, died of natural causes on Monday. The beloved canine, just months away from her 23rd birthday, was at home and surrounded by loved ones in her final moments, according to a press release.

“She was a once-in-a-lifetime companion, and it was our honor to have had the blessing to have had her as a pet, and family member,” owners Bobby and Julie Gregory said in a statement on Instagram. “There was never anyone who met Pebbles that didn’t love her. She will be deeply missed.”

Born on March 28, 2000, on Long Island, Pebbles nabbed the Guinness World Record for oldest living dog back in May of this year. She snatched the title from TobyKeith, a 21-year-old Chihuahua from Florida.

“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 Gregory told Guinness World Records then.

“When I saw TobyKeith’s story all over the news, I applied.”

Pebbles at the time was already 22, she noted.

The Gregorys said Pebbles came as a bit of surprise — when they were looking to adopt in 2000, they were looking for a bigger dog, they said. Pebbles, meanwhile was just 4 lbs. for most of her life.

“She was jumping and barking so much at Bobby that he had no choice but to pick her up and check her out,” Julie told Guinness. “It was instant love the second the two met.”

Pebbles lived a long and happy life full of her favorite things, the couple added, including country music, warm baths, and running in the sunshine. She also gave birth to 32 dogs across three litters with her late partner, Rocky, who was also a toy fox terrier. He died in 2017 at the age of 16.