Pets of Brazil

One of the best parts of traveling, in my opinion, is observing domesticated animals in different places around the world. (See my post on cats in Ghana.)

Brazil has a particularly interesting animal culture and my sister and I spent a lot of time instagramming the animals we came across on our recent trip there. Here are a few highlights.

Sue and painted dogs

My sister Susanna with some painted dogs in Rio.

Moment 7 - Santa Teresa and Lapa2

This shot was in my previous Rio post but I think it warrants a repeat appearance. Dogs are more prevalent than cats in Brazil but most of the cats we saw had a distinct look about them – broad, triangular faces and big bodies.

Dog in hat

Dog in a Hat, Ipanema Beach. We saw lots of cute dachshunds in Rio.

Heather and dog

Heather with Dog in a Hat. Dog in a Hat seemed very accustomed to posing for this shot. (Photo: Susanna Mason)

Two cats2

Egyptian-looking cats in Jabaquara, a little beach hamlet near the Brazilian town of Paraty.

Horse

“Anybody home? It’s Horse.” (This horse roamed freely around Jabaquara. I later saw him/her eating from a trash bin.)

Chicken crossing

Chicken-crossing in Jabaquara.

Cat and fence

Cute cat behind a gate in Paraty.

Dog and bike

We spent the last two days of our trip on an island called Ilha Grande. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of dogs in the island’s main village of Abraão; it was hard to tell if the dogs were strays or just pets with lots of freedom. They ran around town like they owned the place, sleeping on the beach, casually begging at beachside cafés, and poking their heads into air-conditioned shops. The dogs were friendly but not much interested in human attention – they seemed to be on their own mission.

Dog at night

A typical dog on Ilha Grande. Pausing briefly to take in the scene. Not remotely interested in me or anyone else.

Caipirinha guy and dog

This is the last photo I shot in Brazil, of a street-side caipirinha vendor. See the dog in the shadows?

One more Brazil post to come.