Toffee the dog, who just turned 140, was ‘best £75 ever spent’

A LOYAL mongrel from Lancing could be one of Britain’s oldest dogs – at the grand old dog age of 140.

Owner Bill Bruce, 73, of Brighton Road, claims his beloved pet, Toffee, recently celebrated its 20th birthday, an age which would rank it among the oldest recorded dogs in the UK.

According to a widely used system, one human year equates to seven dog years, making Toffee well over 100.

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The occasion was marked with a party at the Empire Club, in Penhill Road, with Toffee receiving 20 birthday cards.

Bill initially took Toffee on a temporary basis when the dog was three and a half years old, after being rescued along with three other dogs.

He said: “The dogs home phoned me after six months and said they had found Toffee a home and I said ‘what are you talking about, he has a home’. I filled in the forms, paid the £75 admin fee and I think it was the best £75 I ever spent.”

He added: “I’ve had a lovely life with him and he’s a lovely little dog,”

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Bill thinks the secret to Toffee’s long life is being fed on fresh meat, not tinned food.

He said: “I give him fresh meat, keep away from canned stuff and if he’s got an upset stomach, a bit of rice with chicken helps.

“My daughter thinks he’s fed better than I feed myself and she’s probably right.”

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