What's Brazil’s new law inspired by loyal dog that stayed by its owner's grave for 10 years?

Dogs are widely admired for their loyalty to humans.

But one dog in Brazil has set a standard that few others can hope to match. So much so that the state of São Paulo named a law after the canine.

The dog, named Bob Coveiro, meaning “gravedigger” in Portuguese, spent a decade at the municipal cemetery where his owner is buried.

The law named after Bob Coveiro went into effect on Tuesday (February 10), reported the BBC.

Let’s take a closer look at what we know about both the doggy and the law:

How Bob gained national fame

Bob’s owner died in 2011. However, the brown, long-haired, mixed-breed dog refused to leave the cemetery in Taboão da Serra, in Greater São Paulo, where his owner is buried. Taboão da Serra is a city with a population of around 285,000, located about 19 kilometres from São Paulo.

Relatives attempted to take Bob away several times, but he always returned and was subsequently adopted by cemetery staff. The staff provided him with a kennel and regularly fed, bathed and vaccinated him.

Bob also rose to national fame for accompanying other funeral processions, often seen with a small ball in his mouth as he tried to play with visitors, a behaviour many interpreted as a comforting presence during moments of grief.

However, tragedy struck in 2021 when Bob died after being hit by a vehicle, according to the news outlet.

Amid widespread public outcry and in the absence of any legal provision at the time, the Taboão da Serra city council made an exception by permitting the dog to be buried beside its former owner.

About Brazil’s new law inspired by Bob

The law has been signed by Tarcísio de Freitas, governor of Brazil’s most populous state. It recognises the “emotional bond” between pets and their human families, according to the state government.

It legalises burying dogs and cats in graves or plots belonging to their owners’ families. The law is already being informally referred to as the Bob Coveiro “gravedigger” law.

Eduardo Nóbrega, the conservative state deputy and one of the authors of the bill, said, “Anyone who has lost a pet knows: it’s not just an animal. It’s family,” The Guardian reported.

He added, “This law provides a dignified and accessible alternative to the previous requirement of cremation, whose high costs often led families to dispose of remains improperly.” “Love does not end at goodbye.”

How have others reacted

The NGO Patre, which supports stray animals, launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund a statue in the cemetery, where it has remained since 2022.

“Our tribute and gratitude for your lessons in love and loyalty. In the face of grief, [Bob] taught us to ‘offer little balls’ and attention when others need it most," reads the plaque beneath the statue of Bob.

“Bob was affectionately adopted by the cemetery staff and after his death his story went on to inspire legislation which represents the formal recognition by the state of the importance pets hold in their owners’ lives and of their connection to society at large,” said Vinicius Grassi, 28, a director at the São Paulo Society of Veterinary Medicine, who named one of its hospitals after Bob, reported The Telegraph.

São Paulo is not the first Brazilian state to legalise the burial of pets alongside their owners. The law is reportedly already in effect in other states, such as Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina.

In the city of Apucarana, in the state of Paraná, a similar law faced strong opposition in 2024. Councillors argued and called it “inappropriate” because a cemetery is “sacred ground”. However, it was eventually approved.

In January, São Paulo approved another law acknowledging the “cultural significance” of the common caramel-coloured Brazilian street dog known as the “Caramelo”, which was featured in a 2025 Netflix film.

The legislation aimed to “combat prejudice against animals without a defined breed", reported RTÉ.

With inputs from agencies