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World & West Village's Oldest Dog, Uncle ChiChi, Dead At 26 (?)
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 23, 2012
Modified Jan 23, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 23, 2012
Modified Jan 23, 2012
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Uncle Chichi, the toy poodle who lived in the West Village and held the unofficial title as the world's oldest dog died last Tuesday. Depending on who you ask, he could have been as "young" as 24, or as old as 26. His owners tell the Times that his cancer became too advanced, and that they had no choice but to euthanize him. "We just feel completely empty; the whole apartment's empty," Frank Pavich, one of ChiChi's owners said.
Pavitch adopted ChiChi in Charleston, South Carolina 24 years ago, and veterinarians at the time put his age between one and two. Any vet records or photos that would have proved ChiChi's age to the Guinness Book of World Records have been lost. The "official" oldest dog, Pusuke, who lived in Japan, died in December at 26.
Even though ChiChi had gone blind and deaf, he continued to play fetch. The Pavitches, who brought ChiChi to their wedding in Croatia, took him around the world the last few years of his life. "There was so much bonus time," Pavitch says. “It’s weird because the more time we spent with him, the more and more we loved him. We didn’t know that was possible. He wasn't your average dog. He kind of transcended that."
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dogs
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old dogs
uncle chichi
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Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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