The “Bob Coveiro” project allows dogs and cats to be buried in family graves in SP

If they are sanctioned, owners will be able to choose to bury the animals close to the family. The new law must respect the health and environmental standards established by each municipality in São Paulo. The specific rules for the burial of animals will be regulated by municipal funeral services.

The project also provides that private cemeteries will be able, in compliance with current legislation, to establish their own rules for the burial of pets in graves and tombs. Expenses related to the burial will be entirely the responsibility of the owner of the grave.

Written by state deputy Eduardo Nóbrega (Podemos), the text owes its name to a dog from Taboão da Serra, in the São Paulo metropolitan area, known to have remained at Cemitério da Saudade for almost ten years after the death of its owner.

“Digger Bob,” as the animal was called, began living there after attending his owner’s funeral in 2011. He was given a small house inside the cemetery and became known for following funeral processions and staying near the graves during burials.

Bob died in 2021, after being struck by a motorcycle while accompanying one of the officers caring for him. The driver did not provide assistance. The dog was given a funeral and buried in a coffin at the Saudade cemetery itself.

The practice of allowing animal burials in human cemeteries already exists in some states, such as Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina. The subject is also discussed at the federal level. In the Chamber of Deputies, for example, there is a draft written by MP Fred Costa (Patriota-MG) which addresses the issue and has been awaiting analysis from the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) since 2023.

Among the main arguments made by proponents of the proposal, both at the state and federal level, is recognition of the emotional bond between guardians and pets. Additionally, the high costs of pet-only cemeteries ultimately lead many owners to make improper burials or disposals, posing health and environmental risks.

However, the subject is far from unanimous. Although there is no federal law prohibiting the burial of animals in cemeteries intended for people, health and religious arguments are used to contain the practice. In the middle of this year, for example, in the municipality of Apuracana, northern Paraná, when a similar project was approved, councilor Marcos da Vila Reis (PP) voted against the measure, considering it “inappropriate” to violate the “sacred field”.