BRASÍLIA / HONG KONG — Within the legal frameworks championed by the World Dog Alliance (WDA) for companion animals, meaningful criminal sanctions are indispensable for erecting a genuine safeguard for dogs and cats welfare. In Brazil, the largest nation in South America, the strongest penal shield currently protecting dogs and cats—the Sansão Law (Lei Sansão, Federal Law No. 14.064/2020)—originated from the tragic ordeal endured by a Pit Bull named "Sansão" and the nationwid