Rio Carnival street party dogs parade as humans protest against pet killers

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Dozens of dogs dressed as alligators, fairies and superheroes gathered Saturday at a Rio de Janeiro Carnival street party as their owners protested cruelty against pets. The canines wagged their tails to samba music, ate a delicious breakfast from several bowls and made new friends at the so-called Blocao, a traditional event during Brazil's biggest bash.

About 300 people and their pets gathered in the neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, on Rio’s west side. They sang and danced to old-style Carnival songs as their pets kept their paws protected in the shade as Rio's thermometers marked 30 Celsius degrees (86 Fahrenheit).

“Dogs are a part of our families. Families come to a street party for dogs because it's sweet, it is joyful and loving,” said Marco Antonio Marinho, 72, the Blocao's chief organizer. “When we are sad at home, they are by our side, they are sad too," he said. "Now that we are happy, they have to be happy too. So we take care of their paws, we keep water for them to be comfortable and safe too.”

A hydration station helped keep the dogs' energy through the two hours of the street celebration at a square, as many cariocas, as Rio residents are known, honked their cars to show support for the dogs and to owners protesting violence against pets. In previous years, the dogs would parade through the streets, but their gentle paws were often scorched by the hot pavement.

The name Blocao is a mixture of “bloco,” which means Carnival street party, and “cao,” or dog in Portuguese. The street party has taken place for more than 20 years.

Marinho and other partygoers waved white ribbons and sang a song in a tribute to Orelha, a dog that was killed in southern Brazil in January in a case that caused national rage.

Santa Catarina state police charged a 15-year-old who allegedly spanked the dog to death but authorities have recommended the teenager be tried under the juvenile corrections system. The judge in the case has yet to rule.

The teenager's lawyer denied any wrongdoing, .

Natalia Reis, 28, came to Blocao for the first time with her 11-year-old dog Theo, partly because of Orelha's killing. She had tears in her eyes when organizers took the microphone to talk about the importance of protecting pets from cruelty.

“This was so unfortunate, we need perpetrators of his death to be punished,” Reis said. “We need to raise awareness. This could have happened to me, to any of us.”

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