Krypto Craze: James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Sparks 500% Jump in Dog Adoptions

James Gunn’s new Superman movie is doing more than just pulling fans to theaters. It’s actually inspiring people to adopt dogs, all thanks to Krypto, Superman’s superpowered pet in the film.

In the movie, Superman’s dog Krypto plays a key role. He’s not the best-trained dog out there, but he’s loyal and strong enough to help Superman fight villains. Fans quickly connected with him, and now many are looking to adopt dogs of their own after seeing the film.

According to the dog training app Woofz, Google searches like “adopt a dog near me” shot up by 513% right after the movie came out. People even searched for more specific phrases like “rescue dog adoption near me,” which jumped 163%.

Searches for “adopt a puppy” also rose by 31%. But the most surprising fact is how many people looked for dogs like Krypto. Searches for “adopt a schnauzer” increased by 299%, as Krypto’s look in the movie is based on a mix of Terrier mutt and Schnauzer.

Krypto’s story actually comes from real life. James Gunn’s own rescue dog Ozu was the inspiration behind Krypto’s character. While working on the film, Gunn adopted Ozu and struggled to train him. He once joked about how much harder it would be if Ozu had superpowers. That idea eventually led him to add Krypto to Superman’s story.

To help real dogs in need, Warner Bros. worked with Best Friends Animal Society before the movie’s release. From July 1 to July 10, they covered adoption fees for people looking to adopt pets. This led to 454 animals finding homes during that short period. Photos of happy families with their new dogs in Los Angeles have also been shared online.

James Gunn isn’t new to supporting animal causes. Back in 2023, his film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 got attention from PETA for showing how terrible animal testing can be. Now, with Superman, he’s once again helping animals, this time, by encouraging people to adopt rescue dogs.

The new Superman movie is playing in theaters now, and it looks like Krypto might be the film’s real superhero.

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