Of the hundreds of parades that lead up to Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, only the annual Blocao celebration features the four-legged samba of costumed canines. A play on bloco (street party) and cao (dog), Blocao even features a few courageous cats that also want to let their hair down. “The neighborhood of Copacabana has currently the most dog owners per square meter,” says Blocao organizer Marco Antonio Toto. “It deserves this prestigious party. Our animals deserve this celebration.”