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According to PETA's "Meatless Meals for Dogs and Cats",

One remarkable example is that of Bramble, a border collie whose vegan diet of rice, lentils, and organic vegetables contributed to a nearly record-breaking lifespan of 29 years.

Did this ever happen? Is there any evidence of this?

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1 Answer 1

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According to a (2021) interview with Bramble's owner (cited by Wikipedia), Bramble lived 25 (and 1/4 or so) years (not 29), i.e. 1978-2003. If you click on that link you'll discover that it's a vegan dog food shop hosting the interview. And the owner of Bramble is also vegan. I'm not sure if there's any further verification of the (corrected) claim beyond that.

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    @LangLаngС: I'm not sure if going into those kinds of comparisons would constitute "original research" as far this site goes. You can post your own answer... Generally speaking, comparing the 0.01% extremes isn't too useful in science.
    – Fizz
    Aug 2, 2022 at 17:50
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    The fact Bramble was owned by someone who makes a living selling the dog's diet should be raising lots of red flags. They have a strong financial incentive to exaggerate the dog's age. Was the claimed age of 25 ever actually verified by anyone? Aug 3, 2022 at 1:19
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    @BlueRaja-DannyPflughoeft: FWTW, she says on the wikipedia talk page she only makes $3/month or so from selling those stories/recipes. Also claims to have veterinary records proving the dog's age, but that there was no real interest by Guinness etc. to look at them (probably because they don't plan on adding a veggie dog life record.)
    – Fizz
    Aug 3, 2022 at 2:37
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    @BlueRaja-DannyPflughoeft That is not the only doubt that could be raised. It is also possible that the owners raised many dogs and made a lot of publicity to the outlier.
    – FluidCode
    Aug 3, 2022 at 11:25
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    I do think the financial incentive to fabricate the story can inform the answer. Regardless of what she makes, she could have intended to make more with the story. It seems like we accept that it was a priority to make something. Aug 3, 2022 at 14:39

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