Santa Catarina's Public Ministry is considering requesting the exhumation of community dog Orelha's body, killed after an attack on Praia Brava. The report indicates a blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death. The step aims to supplement investigations against teenage suspects.
Santa Catarina's Public Ministry announced on Monday (8) that it is studying to request the exhumation of community dog Orelha's body, killed in January on Praia Brava in northern Florianópolis. The 10th Justice Promotion Office of Florianópolis is reviewing the police report to determine additional steps. "For now, the exhumation request is a possibility," the MP stated in an official note.
Santa Catarina's Civil Police pledged to fulfill any requests for extra diligences from the Public Ministry, allowing the complaint to proceed to court with the evidence already gathered. The Scientific Police report, based on a veterinary opinion, concluded that Orelha suffered a blunt force trauma to the head, possibly from a kick or an object like wood or a bottle. The responsible delegate explained in a video: "The professional stated that it was not an immediate injury, that this animal had been attacked about two days earlier with a blow to the head area, and this injury progressed and he died during treatment".
The attack happened around 5:30 AM on January 4, 2026. Residents found the injured dog and took it to a veterinarian, where it died during care. Initial hypotheses on social media, such as impalement or nails in the head, were ruled out by the report.
Four teenagers were initially investigated. Police concluded the inquiry on February 3 requesting the internment of one, based on contradictions in his statement and video footage showing him walking to the beach in the early morning of the attack. The defense claims a lack of direct evidence, such as assault footage. Suspicions also fall on the parents' actions, including an attempt to hide a pink cap similar to the one in the video; the mother denied it in an interview on Globo's Fantástico: "There was nothing to hide and we also didn't know what kind of evidence they were looking for".
The case sparked debate on social media about impunity, compared to the 1997 murder of Galdino Pataxó, with criticisms of judicial selectivity and juvenile justice. Experts like Lívia Vidal from the National Socio-Educational Attendance System advocate for socioeducational measures under the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA), emphasizing their pedagogical nature to prevent recidivism without the harms of prolonged detention.
