The Dog Who Stayed: How a Cemetery Dog in São Paulo Changed Brazilian Law
Bob did not leave.
When his owner was buried at the cemetery in Taboão da Serra, São Paulo, Bob attended the funeral and stayed. Family members tried to bring him home. He kept coming back. So the cemetery gave him a green dog house, and Bob made the graveyard his. For ten years, he walked with funeral processions, greeted mourners, and became a fixture in that place.
He was hit by a vehicle in 2021 and buried beside his owner.
Five years later, his name is on a law.
The Bob Coveiro Law (“coveiro” means gravedigger in Portuguese) came into effect earlier this year in São Paulo state. It allows cats and dogs to be buried in family graves, provided sanitary standards are met. Local funeral services will set the specific rules. São Paulo is Brazil’s most populous state.
Eduardo Nóbrega, one of the law’s authors, wrote on social media: “Anyone who has lost a pet knows: it’s not just an animal. It’s a family. And this law recognizes this bond, bringing more respect at the moment of farewell.”
The local animal protection charity Patre led a fundraiser for a statue of Bob. In a statement, they described how people arriving to bury someone they loved would see him, the little dog who was “crazy about balls,” try to play, and manage a smile.
Brazil has 160 million animal companions, the third-largest pet population in the world according to the Pet Brasil Institute. São Paulo state now says pets can be buried with their families. The rules for how that works are up to local funeral services.
