The government of São Paulo, the most populous state in Brazil, has approved a new law that allows the burial of pets on family plots and in the graves of their owners, reports Kazinform, citing information from the BBC.
The legislation establishes certain sanitary norms that will be monitored by local funeral services. An important aspect of the new law is the recognition of the "emotional bond between people and their pets."
Interestingly, this law has received the unofficial name "Bob the Gravedigger," in honor of a dog named Bob, who remained at the grave of his owner in São Paulo for nearly ten years. Bob, or Bob Coveiro (which translates to "gravedigger" in Portuguese), did not leave the burial site even after attempts by relatives to take him away. Cemetery staff eventually built a kennel for him, and after his death in 2021, when he was hit by a car, Bob was buried next to his owner.
According to data from the Pet Brasil Institute, Brazil ranks third in the world in terms of pet population, with about 160 million pets in the country.
