São Paulo names new law after dog that stayed by owner’s grave for 10 years

Original article by Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro

A dog that remained beside his former owner’s grave for 10 years has now given his name to a new state law allowing pets to be buried alongside their loved ones in São Paulo.

The new law – already being informally referred to as the Bob Coveiro (the Gravedigger) Law, in tribute to its inspiration – was signed this week by the governor of Brazil’s most populous state, the conservative Tarcísio de Freitas.

The law “recognises the emotional bond between guardians and their pets”, according to the state government, and authorises dogs and cats to be buried in graves and family plots whose concessions belong to their owners’ families.

Bob’s former owner died in 2011. After her burial, the brown long-haired mixed-breed dog reportedly refused to leave her side at a cemetery in Taboão da Serra, a city of 285,000 inhabitants about 12 miles from the state capital, São Paulo.

Relatives are said to have tried several times to take the dog away, but he always returned and was eventually adopted by cemetery staff, who provided him with a kennel and regularly fed, bathed and vaccinated him.

Gravedigger Bob gained national fame for accompanying other funeral processions while reportedly carrying a small ball in his mouth, trying to play with visitors – something many saw as a gesture of comfort in moments of grief.

In 2021, after leaving the cemetery grounds, the dog was struck by a motorcycle and died.

There was widespread public commotion, and, as there was no legal provision at the time, the Taboão da Serra city council made an exception and allowed it to be buried alongside its former owner.

The NGO Patre, which works with stray animals, launched a crowdfunding campaign to install a statue in the cemetery, where it has stood since 2022. “Our tribute and gratitude for your lessons in love and loyalty,” reads the plaque beneath the statue, adding that “in the face of grief, [Bob] taught us to ‘offer little balls’ and attention when others need it most”.

One of the authors of the bill, Eduardo Nóbrega, the the conservative state deputy, posted that “anyone who has lost a pet knows: it’s not just an animal. It’s family.”

He said the law provides a “dignified and accessible” alternative to the previous requirement of cremation, whose high costs often led families to dispose of remains improperly.

São Paulo is not the first Brazilian state to authorise the burial of pets alongside their owners, which is already in force in Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina. A federal bill has also been pending in the lower house of congress since 2023.

In the city of Apucarana, in the state of Paraná, a similar law faced strong opposition in 2024, with city councillors arguing, for example, that it would be “inappropriate” because a cemetery is “sacred ground”, but it was ultimately approved.