Are Academy voters such rabid cynophiles that the presence of a nominated film’s featured hound could give it an \u201cunfair advantage\u201d? That’s the claim floated for why Messi<\/strong>, who played Snoop in this year’s quintuple-nominee<\/a>, Anatomy of a Fall<\/em><\/a>, will likely be skipping Sunday’s Academy Awards. But before you boo those alleged dog-hating cranks, ask yourself this: are you disappointed for Messi, or for yourself?<\/p>\n Thanks to extremely important website Does the Dog Die<\/a>, even those who have yet to watch the French film can confirm that Messi, a seven-year-old border collie, did not have to play completely<\/em> dead in the nonetheless upsetting movie. His performance in a scene where he almost gives up the ghost has drawn raves, with the BBC describing his work<\/a> in the movie as \u201cone for the canine canon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Messi and trainer Laura Martin Contini<\/strong> prepared for that scene every day for two months, she told IndieWire<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a true profession,\u201d Martin Contini said of non-human performances. “Any time you see a dog or an animal on screen, it\u2019s the result of a long process of preparation, even if the dog is just laying down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n