CAMDEN — When Rita Kimball found Spike in the parking lot of the grocery store in Camden, she had no idea the little Chihuahua would still be her pet over 13 years later — let alone become the oldest dog living.

The record holding “su-paw-star,” who was 23 years and 7 days old as of Dec. 7, 2022, stands at 9 inches tall and weighs just 12.9 pounds.

Impressively, he was already 10 years old when Kimball and her family found him.

“He had been shaved up his back, had blood stains around his neck from a chain or rope, and looked pretty rough,” said Kimball.

“The clerk in the grocery told us he had been there for three days, and they were feeding him scraps.”

Not knowing who Spike belonged to, Kimball decided to take the pup home to join the rest of the herd on her small farm.

“When we left the store and entered the parking lot, he followed,” recalled Kimball.

“We opened the car door to put our grandson in his car seat, and Spike jumped right in and sat on the seat, as if he knew where we was [sic] going. It was meant to be.”

Inspired by a cartoon dog that was known for its size and aggressive disposition, Kimball named her new four-legged friend Spike.

“My dog seemed to be the opposite; he was small and friendly, so I thought it just seemed to fit him,” said Kimball.

“Spike was a name for a large dog. My guy was small, but he had the attitude of a big dog.”

In fact, the only time Spike ever bears his infamous chihuahua personality is when he’s pet by a stranger.

“He is friendly but since he’s almost blind and hard of hearing, he gets testy at times and just wants to be left alone,” said Kimball.

“In general, though, he was great with the grandkids and never bit a stranger. His little tail still wags when people talk to him.”

But what does it take for a canine to reach a staggering 23 years of age?

Well, for one, a solid routine.

Spike starts his day between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Sometimes he’ll eat breakfast right away or at times he’ll fast for a bit.

On summer weekends, he takes walks with his beloved Kimball in their rural hometown.

“He visits with the animals in the barn: cows, horses, and barn cats,” said Kimball.

“If it’s a good day, he will chase a cat or two.”

But those larger than Spike are no longer intimidated by his antics.

“When he was younger, he tried intimidating the cows and horses by barking and trying to chase them,” said Kimball.

“Now they just stare at him and don’t even move.”

After his morning stroll, Spike heads back to the house where he naps on the porch and prepares for the day ahead while Kimball fixes herself a cup of coffee.

“There’s always something to do on a farm; we cut wood, clean out fence rows, bale hay and harvest crops,” said Kimball.

“Spike has ridden on tractors, been a passenger inside the combine, and tags along when we cut wood.”

After a long week of farm work, Spike will usually relish in Saturday evening baths.

Occasionally, he has braunschweiger with cheese for dinner and sometimes indulges in his favorite chips.

“In his early years, he loved Doritos,” recalled Kimball.

“He liked them crunched up and would eat the cheese Doritos every time we had them.”

Some of Spike’s other favorite pastimes are napping, playing cat and mouse with the house cat Foxxy, and hiding his toy fox around the house.

It was during an episode of Jimmy Fallon one evening where Kimball heard the news of former oldest dog living, Pebbles, and realized that Spike was actually older.

“Most of our family knew that Spike was old but didn’t know he had a shot at being the oldest in the world,” said Kimball.

“Now that he is a record holder, they see him as a celebrity.”

Kimball advises those with fuzzy friends to give their pet a healthy diet, room to roam, daily exercise, and unlimited love and attention.

Original story by Aliciamarie Rodriguez, www.guinnessworldrecords.com.