Superman's Krypto Spurs Pet Adoption Search Surge

Krypto the Superdog is undeniably a scene-stealer in Superman, captivating audiences whenever he appears. This mischievous yet heroic canine with superpowers causes as much trouble for Superman as he provides assistance. Could Krypto now be more popular than iconic characters like Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, or even Superman himself? After seeing the film over the weekend, my children only wanted to discuss one character: Krypto.

The impact of Krypto appears to be exceeding expectations. Data from dog training app Woofz, as reported by The Wrap, reveals a 513% surge in Google searches for "adopt a dog near me" following the film's release. Queries for "rescue dog adoption near me" also rose by 163%.

Other related searches saw smaller but still significant increases. "Adopt a puppy" queries grew by 31%. The Wrap also noted a specific interest in Krypto's breed, with searches for "adopt a schnauzer" jumping 299%. (Krypto's exact breed remains a topic of discussion, as he is a CGI alien character. It's surprising that no one has directly asked writer and director James Gunn for clarification!)

What is clearly documented, however, is the real-life inspiration for Krypto: Gunn's own adopted dog, Ozu. Gunn shared that after rescuing the one-year-old Ozu, who had little prior human interaction, the dog proceeded to destroy his home by chewing furniture and even biting his feet. This chaotic experience sparked an idea: how much more chaotic would it be if Ozu had superpowers? This thought process gave birth to the character of Krypto and helped shape Gunn's overall vision for the Superman narrative.

Responding to the news of the spike in online interest for dog adoption inspired by Krypto, Gunn posted on social media: "This film has been a series of incredible blessings for me, and this one might be the greatest of all."

Warning! Spoilers for Superman ahead: