RIO DE JANEIRO — As Rio de Janeiro kicked off its Carnival on Saturday, about 100 canine barked and wagged their tails to the tune of samba music as they paraded in entrance of pet lovers in a canine costume competitors.

The “Blocao” — a mix of “bloco” which refers to Carnival avenue events and “cao,” or canine in Portuguese — led to 300 folks to Rio’s Barra da Tijuca. Canine costumes ranged from fairies, and superheroes to clowns and cartoon characters.

Edson Chianca, 36, introduced his 12-year-old Saori to the parade in a Minnie Mouse costume. He dressed the identical approach so the pair matched.

“It’s a nice initiative, this can be a good second for pets to socialize,” stated Chianca.

Mari Jordão, 52, has attended the Blocao since 2014. Canine “moms must be cautious, deliver water, carry their canine if the pavement is just too scorching,” she stated.

Blocao is among the few occasions that challenged a metropolis ban on avenue events final yr as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. It has taken place for about 20 years.

Marco Antonio Vieira, the organizer of Blocao, stated he has no intention of humanizing pets with the pet parade and the competition that picks the highest 5 greatest dressed canine.

“Thirty years in the past they lived in our yard, now they dwell on our beds. It’s good for them to be with the proprietor. When the canine sees the proprietor completely happy, he’s completely happy too,” Vieira stated.

“Some folks have labored on their canine costumes for 3 months,” Vieira stated. “There’s nothing however completely happy folks right here.”