Like many border collies, Skippy was purchased as a puppy to help his owner, Patrick Geraghty, around the farm. Border collies thrive with a purpose and Skippy was no exception. He loved helping around the farm and working hard, all the way up until his retirement – at 24 years old.
According to the Irish Mirror, 84-year-old Pat adopted Skippy back in the summer of 1995.
While most border collies live to be between 12 and 15 years of age, Skippy has surpassed the average life expectancy of his breed by more than a decade!
It’s believed Skippy is the oldest dog in Ireland and possibly one of the oldest dogs in the world! While there isn’t any official proof of how old Skippy is, the Irish Mirror reports that Patrick’s relatives and neighbors who were around at the time can recall Skippy as a puppy back in the ’90s.
This is my neighbor Pat and his dog Skippy.
Skippy was born in 1996! Yes 1996. pic.twitter.com/ga06AncoFS— Fergus Sweeney (@FergusMaSuibhne) February 14, 2022
One of Pat’s newer neighbors even shared photos of the dog and man on Twitter, and they gained a lot of attention of the impressive nature of Skippy’s age!
Many people were amazed, though some were skeptical. The neighbor added a follow-up post saying that a different neighbour remembers Skippy chasing his car when he moved into the area some 20 years ago.
Closest I can verify is a neighbour who remembers Skippy chasing his car when he moved into the area some 20 years ago. Skippy was a chaser . That picture is from September 2021. This was him this morning pic.twitter.com/Jms0GDB8UL
— Fergus Sweeney (@FergusMaSuibhne) February 15, 2022
While Skippy may appear rather young in the photos, his health has started to decline (which is what prompted his retirement from the farm in the first place!
Skippy now suffers from hearing loss and declined mobility. It’s gotten so bad that his owner has to help him walk at times because he can’t move his hind legs well.
Thankfully, Pat doesn’t mind much. He told the Irish Mirror:
“We’re good buddies. It’s my turn to look after him now, you know. He’s been good to me when he’s had his health but he’s down and out now and I have to give him water four times a day and feed him three times a day – but I don’t mind.”
Check out the video below: