The lamb-loving “miracle pup” could be the most ancient canine in the Harbour City.
Meet Trixie, possibly Sydney’s oldest dog. The Jack Russell – Fox Terrier recently celebrated her 21st birthday.
Owner Angela Jeremy of Normanhurst wants to know if her “miracle pup” is the oldest dog living in Sydney
Mrs Jeremy has cared for Trixie since 2010 after her grandmother, who rescued Trixie from the pound, passed away.
“I was very close with my gran and I always promised her that I’d look after Trixie,” Mrs Jeremy said.
“Trixie is very special to me because she knew gran and my dad who both died in 2010, so Trixie makes them feel closer to me.”
The 43-year-old speech pathologist said the secret to Trixie’s long life is “lots of love and attention”.
“She is very spoiled, only likes to eat lamb leg steaks from the butcher,” Mrs Jeremy said.
“Generally I feed her before I eat my own dinner because she will only eat it if it’s warm off the grill. If it goes cold, she doesn’t want it.”
After surviving two strokes and kidney failure last year, Mrs Jeremy said Trixie is living proof that “miracles do happen”.
Dr Christina Atkinson, a veterinarian at Asquith Vet Hospital who has treated Trixie since 2016, said the miracle pup is the first 21-year-old she has seen at her clinic.
“Trixie is very lucky to have such a dedicated owner, Angela has been amazing with Trixie and all her health battles,” Dr Atkinson said.
“Smaller dogs do generally live longer than larger breed dogs. Jack Russells are definitely a hearty breed in that they have [fewer] genetic diseases.”
According to Guinness World Records, the oldest-ever dog was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey.
Bluey, who lived to the age of 29, was obtained as a puppy in 1910 and worked among cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years before being put to sleep on November 14, 1939.
Most dogs live for eight to 15 years, and authentic records of dogs living more than 20 years are rare and generally involve the smaller breeds.