The Rio Carnival street party where dogs parade as superheroes and cartoon characters

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - As Rio de Janeiro's Carnival celebrations kicked off on Saturday, dozens of dogs dressed as superheroes, clowns and cartoon characters paraded alongside their owners in one of the city's most beloved canine street parties.

About 100 dogs wagged their tails to samba music and socialized at the so-called Blocao street party, where about 300 people and their pets gathered in the neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, on Rio's west side.

"I think this is just wonderful, I've come for many years," said nurse Priscila dos Santos Silva, 42, who took Sol, her Chihuahua, dressed as a doll to the party. "It 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."

Antonio Marinho, 71, said this year's Blocao was even more respectful for dogs being paraded under Rio's 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' gentle paws from getting scorched.

"We won't come out on the pavement because it's hot. Out of respect for the pets, we will stay still under this wonderful shade," Marinho said. "Here we have kids, the elderly, and many dogs."

The name Blocao is a mixture of "bloco," which means Carnival street party, and "cao," 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 Brazil was one of the hardest-hit countries.

The street party has taken place for more than 20 years.