The state of São Paulo has approved a new law permitting pets to be buried alongside their owners, in tribute to a dog who spent 10 years at his former guardian's graveside. Informally dubbed the "Bob Coveiro (Bob the Gravedigger) Law", the measure was signed by governor Tarcísio de Freitas and formally recognises the emotional bond between families and their animals. Now, it authorises dogs and cats to be interred in family graves whose concessions belong to relatives.
Bob's owner was buried in 2011 in Taboão da Serra, near the city of São Paulo. The loyal mixed-breed dog repeatedly returned to the cemetery after attempts to take him away and was eventually adopted by staff, who cared for him for a decade. He became known across Brazil for accompanying funeral processions, often carrying a small ball. After he died in 2021 following a road accident, local authorities made an exception to allow him to be buried beside his owner.
State deputy Eduardo Nóbrega, one of the bill's authors, said on social media the law provides families with a dignified and accessible alternative to cremation. Similar measures are already in force in other Brazilian states, while a federal proposal on the issue remains under discussion in congress...