Offbeat: Dogs and roosters at Rio's pet Carnival parade Hundreds of pets decked out with sequins, ruffles and hats paraded on Rio's famed Copacabana beach Sunday in an annual pre-Carnival extravaganza briefly interrupted by a spate of robberies. The annual "blocao," a play on the Portuguese words for "street party" and "dog," brought together dogs and their owners on the Copacabana promenade for a colorful concert of barks and samba accompanied by an unofficial contest for the best costume. Images.