A dog owner believes her beloved 22-year-old pet Staffy could be Britain’s oldest dog. Linzi McLean, 29, was given Staffy Sasha as a gift from her granddad after the dog was found as a stray 19 years ago. In 2005, vets said the dumped pup was around three years old.

Linzi, from Chorley, in Lancashire, said: “He was on the bus on the way home and some girls had found her, she was a stray and she jumped up on to my granddad’s knee. They were just going to take her to the RSPCA because they’d found her, so my granddad thought he’d give her a chance."

“If she was an aggressive dog or a badly behaved dog or something, it may have been different.”

School-aged Linzi was elated to receive the dog, who she says is now "pretty much part of her".

She added: “She’s the most loyal dog I’ve ever known, she’s very attached to me.

“I think the main thing that’s kept her going all this time is all the love and care.

"You give her so much love they want to stay with you all the time, they’re not going to want to leave you.”

The elderly pooch celebrated her 22nd birthday in November – 19 years after she was found.

But last year, Guinness World Records announced it would require microchip data or documentary evidence for all years of a pet’s life in order to verify records.

As Sasha was found as a stray, her owners cannot be 100% certain of her age.

Despite having "good mobility", Sasha now struggles with longer walks. Linzi has now bought a dog pram for her so she can carry on enjoying the great outdoors.

Linzi added: “The amount of love that I have for her, and that she has for me, I think that’s what has kept her going all this time and kept her heart strong and healthy.”

A spokesperson at Guinness World Records said: "To approve the record, evidence supporting the entirety of the dog's life, from birth to present day, must be presented.

"This includes, but is not limited to, copies of medical notes, vaccination records, witness statements, and microchip data.

"We would welcome Linzi and Sasha to make an application if they have the evidence available for our Records Management team to review.