Animal rights organization PETA will honor Bradley Cooper with its inaugural compassion in film award for casting his own dog, Charlie, in “A Star Is Born.”
PETA said it gave Cooper the award for not using a dog supplied by one of Hollywood’s “notorious” animal exhibitors such as Birds & Animals Unlimited, which was cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violations of the Animal Welfare Act last year.
“Bradley Cooper’s happy, adorable, and much-loved dog steals the spotlight — and viewers’ hearts — in this film because it’s clear that he loved being with his real-life ‘dad,’” said PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange. “PETA has witnessed so much abuse and neglect of dogs, both on and off set, that we’re hoping Cooper’s kind decision sets a precedent for all of Hollywood to follow.”
Charlie is named after Cooper’s father, who died in 2011. Cooper has previously owned rescue dogs — a German shorthaired pointer named Samson and a Chow Retriever mix called Charlotte. The news that Cooper had cast his own dog was first reported by People.
Cooper stars as Jackson Maine in the movie opposite Lady Gaga’s Ally. He also wrote and directed the movie, which opens on Thursday night.