Brazil passed a new law inspired by a dog’s 10-year grave guard. Here’s what it does.

In the southeastern state of São Paulo, a hyperloyal dog has helped rewrite local laws.

The BBC reports that a mixed breed dog with the funny human name Bob Coveiro, which translates to “Bob at the Gravedigger”, lived for a decade among the gravestones of the cemetery and Taboão da Serra. He refused to leave his owner’s grave.

He showed up at his owner’s funeral and then, according to Brazilian media, just stayed there. Family members tried to take him home, but he still came back. The cemetery eventually gave him a small green doghouse to call home, one he would leave to attend funerals, sometimes lightening the mood by chasing a ball between processions.

Why a dog’s 10-year grave guard led to a new law in Brazil

A grim story turned tragic when Bob was killed by a vehicle in 2021. Cemetery workers did the right thing by burying him next to his former owner. Now, years later, this simple act of kindness has reshaped Brazilian public policy.

This week, São Paulo’s government passed the “Bob Coveiro Law” that allows cats and dogs to be buried in family graves, provided sanitary rules are followed. Funeral services will set specific rules. The law formally recognizes that the bond between humans and their animals does not end at death, nor should anyone on earth consider it to.

It is a law fitting for a nation that loves its pets and has lots of them. Brazil is home to the world’s third-largest pet population, with about 160 million animals, according to the Pet Brasil Institute. It is a nation where pets play roles in families similar to children and siblings, and the cemetery has become yet another place where the undeniable power of these relationships can be recognized.