Like many dog lovers, Melissa Bacelar cried watching the new “Superman” movie because of Krypto the Superdog, the Man of Steel’s canine sidekick. But her tears involved not just the touching scenes, but personally knowing Ozu, the rescue dog who inspired the character.
Ozu was one of 30 terrier mixes who landed at the municipal shelter in Riverside County, California, in the spring of 2022. The dogs had been living in a dilapidated yard with empty toilet bowls and were fearful of human touch. They’d been exposed to the deadly virus parvo and there was no space to care for them at the shelter.
“The dogs had never been socialized or touched,” she said. “They were terrified.”
Fortunately, the staff knew to call Bacelar to see if her nonprofit rescue organization, Wagmor Pets, could take in another hoarding case. She couldn’t stand the thought of the dogs being killed and welcomed all 30 dogs to her “dog hotel” in Studio City, California. (A few days later, she took in another 30 dogs from the same property.)
The team named the dogs after country singers like Willie Nelson and Shay Moore – Ozu was initially called Shay — and shared their plight on social media.
That’s when Bacelar got an Instagram message from “Superman” director James Gunn, who happened to be in town. Years before, they’d worked on the movie “Citizen Toxie” together and had seen each other over the years.
“He goes, ‘I live in Colorado but I’m in town doing the first cuts of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3.’ I’m going to be at Disney. Can I roll by?’ So he comes by and meets the dogs,” she said.
Gunn liked several of the dogs and visited two days in a row to FaceTime with his wife to get her opinion. Ultimately, they chose Shay — his quirky ears helped seal the deal — and renamed him Ozu after Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu.
“He brings the dog home and they immediately loved the dog,” she said. “But he was texting me, ‘This dog is so bad. He’s on my kitchen table. He just destroyed my laptop.’ He was just destroying their house.”
Uzo’s Second Act As Krypto
With loving care and lessons from Lola, the other family dog, Ozu blossomed into a devoted companion. But his early antics helped inspire the playfully mischievous Krypto character while Gunn was writing the script for “Superman” and he wondered how difficult life would be if Ozu had superpowers, as he shared on social media.
He even used Ozu as the 3D model for computer-generated Krypto, turning the grey dog white – a transformation Bacelar found profoundly moving as she watched the film.
“Krypto looks just like Ozu. He’s just a white Ozu,” Bacelar said. “When I saw the dog, I literally cried. Tears came down. It’s just so awesome that this is being represented in the most popular movie in the world. This is just some dog that lived with empty toilet bowls in a yard in Riverside — nothing glamorous about him. And now he literally represents the most famous dog in the world. It’s amazing.”
She’s grateful that Gunn used his platform to elevate rescue dogs — particularly mixed-breed dogs — and that Superman treats Krypto as a family member.
“It’s so simple: you don’t leave family behind,” she said. “When you get a dog, they are part of the family. They’re not disposable. I think that is represented so beautifully in this movie in so many ways.”
A Superdog’s Heroic Impact
“Superman” has grossed over $400 million since opening in theaters on July 11. Following opening weekend, Google searches on “adopt a dog near me” spiked 513%.
The increased interest in adoption thrills Bacelar, who hopes potential adopters will keep an open mind when they visit animal shelters and focus on a dog’s personality and potential.
“I’m hoping that Krypto will just make people want to get a dog that’s good for their family and for their lives, and not be so specific on breed,” she said. “This is a rescue dog that needed work – that’s a great dog and a fun dog that you’re going to laugh with, but it’s not a dog you’re going to go to a breeder and buy. This is a rescue — there’s no question about it. To put that out there is such a huge thing not only for us, but for every rescue dog in the world.”
