Comics, TV, movies, anime, games, there’s no shortage of fandoms on display at the Edmonton Expo this weekend, but one guest star in paw-rticular is shining a spotlight on local charity work. Peggy the dog, also known as Dogpool in the Deadpool and Wolverine movie, is one of the many celebrity, cosplay and voice actor guests in Edmonton for the convention. Known for her distinctive appearance, Peggy initially rose to fame across the pond after winning the U.K.’s ugliest dog competition in 2023. “She went viral for a couple of weeks, went on local news and radio, and then we thought that was it, we didn’t hear anything else,” said Luke Middleton, one of Peggy’s owners. “Then three months later, we got a phone call asking if Peggy would like to be in a small feature film, which just happened to be Deadpool and Wolverine.” Since then, Peggy and her owners have been around the world and help raise money for local animal rescue organizations and shelters. “In the village where we live, everyone’s used to Peggy … but as soon as you step outside of the village, people see Peggy, and there are no other dogs that really look like Peggy,” Middleton said. “People stop us in the street all the time, no matter where we are, around the world, and it’s nice that she gets a great reaction and people have quite a good affinity with Peggy.” In Edmonton, the antihero dog is supporting Zoe’s Animal Rescue, a volunteer-run, shelterless rescue. “It’s pretty remarkable to have a Hollywood dog in our midst,” said Heather Williams, a volunteer with Zoe’s Animal Rescue. “Luke, one of the owners of Peggy, is also very kind, and it’s been very nice to have them here, getting to learn a little bit more about Peggy and to shed some spotlight on the rescue.” As a shelterless organization, they rely on foster families for their animals. “Many people don’t realise how much need there is in the rescue community,” she added. “Veterinary care is very costly, spaying and neutering pets is very costly, obviously supplies can become very costly. So every dollar raised makes a huge impact in the community.” More information on Zoe’s Animal Rescue is available online. Fandoms, assemble Peggy isn’t the only famous guest in town for the expo, which began Friday. John Cena, Erin Moriarty, John Rhys-Davies and Christopher Judge, to name a few, are also making appearances. “Everyone’s a fan of something, and this is the place where you can celebrate, regardless of what your fandom is,” said George Zotti, with the Edmonton Expo. In addition to the autographs, photos and panels with the celebrity guests, there are also hundreds of artists and retailers at the convention, as well as family attractions, cosplay competitions and more. “It’s really just about coming together as a community. People love to come and celebrate together within this platform, it’s a wonderful shared experience,” said Zotti. More than 40,000 attendees are expected to come through the doors at the Edmonton Expo Centre for the event. Peggy is at the show all three days. The Edmonton Expo wraps up Sunday, tickets are available online. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
