Skip to content
i Still Love Dogs
i Still Love Dogs

…Dog news, tips & fun stuff

  • News
  • Awww
  • Heroes
  • Grrr
  • Tips
  • Pittie Party
  • About
i Still Love Dogs

…Dog news, tips & fun stuff

Brandy the Pit Bull in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

The Pit Bull in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Deserves an Oscar (But Shame on Tarantino)

Laura Goldman, February 8, 2020August 24, 2022

Brandy the Pit Bull in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

If you’ve seen “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” I’m going to bet that, like me, one of your favorite characters was Brandy, the Pit Bull belonging to Cliff Booth, the character played by Brad Pitt.

Without giving anything away, Brandy is truly a hero in the movie. She is played by Sayuri, who was snubbed for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination — probably only because dogs don’t get Academy Awards. They do, however, qualify for the Palm Dog award at the Cannes Film Festival. Sayuri deservedly won that prestigious honor this year.

“I’ve told everybody, I have no idea if we’re going to win the Palme d’Or. I feel no entitlement,” said Quentin Tarantino, writer and director of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” when he accepted the award on Sayuri’s behalf. “But I did feel that I was in good standing to win the Palm Dog. So I want to dedicate this to my wonderful actress Brandy. She has brought the Palm Dog home to America.”

Quentin Tarantino was presented the Wamiz Palm Dog award today in Cannes for Brandy’s performance in @OnceInHollywood! 🐶 (Fun fact: she was played by three Pit Bulls in the film: Sayuri, Cerberus, and Siren) pic.twitter.com/YjHijlycfo

— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) May 24, 2019

As much as Sayuri deserves awards for her performance, Tarantino deserves no awards for casting this particular dog in his movie. Here’s why.

Instead of searching animal shelters and rescue organizations to find a Pit Bull perfect for the part of Brandy – and in the process probably finding that dog a forever home – Tarantino instead chose Sayuri from breeders Monique and Matt Klosowski of Wilmington, Del. Sayuri’s stunt double, Cerberus, was also obtained from these breeders.

According to USA TODAY, trainers flew to the Klosowskis’ home and offered them “thousands of dollars” for Sayuri and Cerberus. It’s heartbreaking to think about how all that money could have really helped an animal shelter or rescue instead. The trainers didn’t even have to leave Los Angeles — it’s a sad fact that the vast majority of dogs in all of the area’s shelters are Pit Bulls or mixes.

What’s also really disappointing is that Tarantino chose to cast a Pit Bull with cropped ears, like Sayuri’s. Okay, so mutilating the ears of Pit Bulls may have been commonplace back in 1969, but nowadays ear cropping is rightfully considered cruel and unnecessary. It is opposed by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and other veterinary organizations. Yet every Pit Bull on the About page of the Klosowskis’ Delaware Red Pitbulls website has cropped ears.

Even PETA — the only major U.S. animal organization that actually supports unfair and ineffective breed-specific legislation (BSL), including Pit Bull bans — has asked the USDA to investigate Delaware Red Pitbulls. PETA says the breeders are operating without a license, which is in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

To his credit, there are some things in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” that Tarantino does get right about Pit Bulls: specifically, just how compassionate and loyal these misunderstood dogs are. But it’s truly a shame that because of his unfortunate casting choice, unlike Brandy in his movie, no shelter dog had the opportunity to enjoy a fairy-tale ending.

Photo: YouTube

Related

Pittie Party pit bull

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Recent Posts

  • Dogs—Not Cats—May Prevent Babies from Developing Asthma
  • Rest in Paradise, Patrick the Miracle Dog
  • Guide Dog Terrified by Thunder Led Blind Owner to Safety on 9/11
  • Once Again, Adopted Dogs Featured in 2025 Rose Parade
  • 7 Examples That Prove Trump Is Clueless About Dogs

Most “Paw”pular Posts

  • Due to 'Pit Bulls and Parolees' Lawsuit, New Villalobos Sanctuary Planned
  • 5 Reasons Why Jon Stewart Is So Doggone Awesome
  • Frank Sinatra Loved the Ladies...and the Dogs
  • Rape Charges Dropped Against Toney Converse of 'Pit Bulls and Parolees'
  • Leonard Nimoy's L.A. Pet Store Did Not Live Long or Prosper

Like i Still Love Dogs on Facebook

Like i Still Love Dogs on Facebook

Follow @iStillLoveDogs on BlueSky

Follow @iStillLoveDogs on BlueSky

Subscribe to i Still Love Dogs

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. I respect your privacy and will never sell your information.

Privacy Policy

about Laura Goldman
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
©2025 i Still Love Dogs | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. You can opt-out if you wish.Got it! Reject Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT