RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) 鈥� As celebrations on Saturday, dozens of dogs dressed as superheroes, clowns and cartoon characters paraded alongside their owners in one of the city鈥檚 most beloved canine street parties.
About 100 dogs wagged their tails to samba music and socialized at the so-called Blocao , where about 300 people and their pets gathered in the neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, on Rio鈥檚 west side.
鈥淚 think this is just wonderful, I鈥檝e come for many years,鈥� said nurse Priscila dos Santos Silva, 42, who took Sol, her Chihuahua, dressed as a doll to the party. 鈥淚t is great to see this interaction between pets and families. It is a lot of joy and it is good for everyone. It is a different kind of Carnival.鈥�
Antonio Marinho, 71, said this year鈥檚 Blocao was even more respectful for dogs being paraded under Rio鈥檚 30 Celsius degrees (86 Fahrenheit) on Saturday morning. A hydration station was opened and the usual parade through the streets was relocated to prevent the pets鈥� gentle paws from getting scorched.
鈥淲e won鈥檛 come out on the pavement because . Out of respect for the pets, we will stay still under this wonderful shade,鈥� Marinho said. 鈥淗ere we have kids, the elderly, and many dogs.鈥�
The name Blocao is a mixture of 鈥渂loco,鈥� which means Carnival street party, and 鈥渃ao,鈥� or dog in Portuguese. It is one of the few events that challenged a city ban on street parties during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which was one of the hardest-hit countries.
The street party has taken place for more than 20 years.
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Mario Lob茫o, The Associated Press
