Rio de Janeiro police handle dog cruelty case and recover missing emotional‑support dog

Police investigations in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area have been linked to two separate dog‑related incidents. In Copacabola, the Civil Police concluded that a 47‑year‑old man, Tiago Mattos Rocha, deliberately drowned his American Bully dog, Prince, on 23 April. Security‑camera footage showed the pair walking toward the beach, after which only the man returned. Rocha was indicted for animal cruelty resulting in death and remains a fugitive.

In a different case, the Niterói Civil Police recovered an emotional‑support dog named Mailon after the animal went missing on 21 June. The family, which bought the dog in 2023 for a four‑year‑old child, received help from police who obtained a search warrant and located the dog, returning it to its owners. The incident was recorded as a circumstance of found property, and no arrests were made.