From big screen to shelter pets: The SUPERMAN effect
SUPERMAN hit theaters on July 11, and I was honored to be at the premiere in Hollywood, walking the red carpet with a dog by my side. Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, and director James Gunn, this wasn’t just any old movie premiere… It was a chance to show people something we in animal welfare know by heart: Every hero deserves a sidekick, and that sidekick is sitting in a shelter or rescue right now, waiting for someone to choose them.
No one understands that better than James Gunn.
If you’ve seen the film, you already know Krypto, Superman™’s loyal companion, is not your perfectly trained dog. He’s wild, easily distracted, a little too excitable, and definitely not the kind of canine who wins obedience ribbons. But that’s exactly why audiences are falling in love with him. He’s real.
Krypto is modeled after James’ own rescued dog, Ozu, who had a pretty rough start to life. Originally from a home with dozens of other dogs, Ozu came to James fearful, untrusting, and—by James’ own words—kind of a disaster. He chewed through furniture, destroyed shoes, and even made a meal of an expensive laptop. Most people would have given up on him. James didn’t. He did what every great rescuer does — he stayed patient, he loved him anyway, and he gave him a chance to become the best version of himself.
And now, Ozu has inspired a superhero dog who is sparking something extraordinary in the real world. Since SUPERMAN opened in theaters, Google searches for “adopt a dog near me” shot up by an incredible 513%.
Think about that for a second. That’s not just a number on a chart; that’s thousands of people picturing what it might be like to walk into a shelter, look through the kennels, and say, “You. You’re coming home with me.” Every one of those searches is a tiny spark of hope for a dog or cat waiting behind a kennel door. And if even a fraction of those searches turns into adoptions, that’s hundreds, even maybe thousands, of lives saved.
That’s how no-kill happens. It happens when hearts change, and people start looking at pets in shelters differently. It happens because we stop waiting for “perfect” and start seeing the beauty in pets exactly as they are — goofy, messy, loyal, loving, and ready to be someone’s best friend.
Warner Bros. Discovery took that excitement and turned it into immediate action by covering adoption fees at Best Friends locations and select partners from July 1 to 10. In just 10 days, more than 450 pets went home. That’s 450 families whose lives just got better. 450 animals who are now sleeping in homes of their own. Every one of those adoptions is a step closer to a no-kill country, and that’s worth celebrating.
So thank you, James, for sharing Ozu’s story with the world and for showing that rescued dogs are the best friends we could ever ask for. Thank you to every single person who’s been inspired to adopt since this movie hit theaters. You are the real superheroes in this story. And for those who have yet to be inspired by Krypto, don’t worry, you haven’t missed your opportunity — SUPERMAN is in theaters now.
Your Krypto may not wear a cape or fly through the sky, but they’re out there right now, waiting for you. Go meet them.
-Julie
