A little dog named Lady Bug in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, reached a major milestone this week.
“We’re here celebrating Lady Bug Hughes’ 23rd or 24th birthday,” Mary Jo Hughes, her owner, told WGAL.
She adopted the special pup more than a decade ago after she was found abandoned and in desperate need of care and love. At the time, she was suffering from several health problems that included mammary cancer, nine of her teeth had to be pulled, and she had bladder stones, according to Hughes.
The family has nicknamed her dumpster dog because even though they groom her on a regular basis, she looks like she crawled out of a dumpster container.
An image shows the little canine wearing a shiny gold party hat while resting in the arms of her owner:
Lady Bug may be the oldest dog in the country, and two different veterinary practices have given different ages, Hughes noted.
Meanwhile, the recent celebration took place at the Neffsville Veterinary Clinic and video footage shows Lady Bug sitting in front of a big pink and white birthday cake with the number 23 on top as her friends, human and canine, gathered around her with huge smiles on their faces:
@neffsvillevet Happy Birthday Lady Bug! #happybirthday #dogbirthday #oldestdog #birthdayparty #news #newsworthy #vetmed #vetclinic
Employees at the vet are searching through records to try and pinpoint her exact age. If they can achieve that goal, they might need to contact Guinness World Records.
“I know some of my staff have been sleuths and detectives, trying to track down a further birthdate for her,” the clinic’s Dr. Nicole Blithe said.
According to its website, the Neffsville Veterinary Clinic has dedicated staff members who are committed to the lifetime health of their clients’ pets, so Lady Bug is in excellent hands.
“I think good care, lots of good love, good nutrition, and genes, too” apparently contributed to the little dog’s long and happy life, per Dr. Blithe.