Health issues are complex and therefore involve a series of interrelated variables, such as the etiology and epidemiological aspects that, for the public administration, translate into policies and legislation aimed at consolidating prevention and treatment of illnesses and / or aggravations of social impact. The municipality of São Paulo has successfully managed over time to control a number of diseases, including rabies. In this dissertation, using this disease as a reference, the objective was to review the policies and legislation pertinent to the control of zoonosis transmitted by dogs and cats over time. We conclude that the current legislation and political-administrative structure allow an increasingly detailed regulation of the possession / custody of dogs and cats and approach to human populations particularly vulnerable to zoonosis transmitted by these species, such as people with hoarding disorder and the homeless population. However, the public service must be attentive and responsive in intervening in the face of changes that have occurred, be they related to the increase of the animal population or the possibility of emergence or re-emergence of zoonosis such as leishmaniasis and rabies.