‘Dogpool’ takes over Calgary Expo, brings attention to local pet charities

Peggy the Dog is proving her celebrity clout at this year’s Calgary Expo.

The pint-sized pup is the breakout star of 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, starring as ‘Dogpool’ alongside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

“It’s been surreal,” laughs Holly Middleton, Peggy’s human owner. “Never in our wildest dreams could you imagine where this was going to go.”

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Peggy’s rise to fame started after her human parents answered an ad in their local village paper: it was a contest for Britain’s ugliest dog. They entered in 2023 and Peggy won. It caught the eye of filmmakers.

“A few months later, I think, Ryan Reynolds or one of his team were looking for an ugly dog in the U.K. — because that’s where it was filmed  — and Peggy’s the one that comes up on Google,” explains Luke Middleton, who is married to Holly.

“They looked at her, fell in love with her and the rest is history.”

The success of the film thrust Peggy onto the world stage — she’s captured major attention because of her unique look.

As far as the Middleton’s know, she is a Chinese crested-pug mix — also known as a Pugese — the last remaining pup and runt of a large litter.

“She was six months old and nobody had taken her on,” says Holly. “I don’t know if they saw a look at Peggy and think she might need a lot of maintenance or she might run high, [due to] bills and that sort, but she’s perfectly healthy and I just loved her the instant I saw her.”

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The couple wanted to use their newfound platform to give back.

Their trips to various fan conventions around the world and massive social media following made them realize they could highlight pet charities and help raise funds for small organizations.

In Calgary, they partnered with Parachutes for Pets. The organization has a mission to keep pets with their families during times of financial hardship. It features a secondhand store where people donate gently used pet items for resale.

“We’re so honoured that Peggy and her family chose us to raise awareness of Parachutes for Pets. Being a smaller grassroots charity, we don’t get a lot of opportunities like this often so we’re just really grateful,” says founder Melissa David.

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Along with a private tour of the facility, Peggy’s team is donating some of the proceeds from some of her Expo earnings back to the charity — a move that excited and touched David, as a personal fan of Peggy’s.

“It’s awesome honestly. She’s donating $5 for each photo back to us, and today was a really great opportunity for them to spend some time with us and see what we do and see some of the clients who benefit from our work,” beamed David.

The Middleton’s were thrilled to see the charity first-hand.

“It’s amazing what they do for people,” Luke said with a grin.

Who knew a tiny dog could bring so much joy?

Peggy will be putting smiles on everyone’s faces this week, leading the Parade of Wonders as Paw-rader in Chief on Friday, April 25. Then she’ll be meeting and greeting fans all weekend long at Calgary’s BMO Centre.