SuperDogs mark 50 years, with Calgary ties among 'Paws of Fame' honorees
The annual SuperDogs show, which began at Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition in 1976, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a new hall of fame recognizing standout canine performers.
SuperDogs, the long-running dog performance show held at Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition and Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition, marked its 50th anniversary this year. The show began in August 1976 when entertainer Herb Williams recruited a handful of dogs to perform tricks at the PNE.
To celebrate the milestone, organizers created an inaugural 'Paws of Fame' class honoring 20 standout performers from the show's history. Among them is Flint, a collie who performed in SuperDogs and also served as a search-and-rescue dog with the Calgary Fire Department. Other honorees include Pot Roast, an English bulldog dubbed the 'slowest SuperDog ever,' and a trio of pugs named Snap, Crackle and Pop.
Today's performers include hundreds of dogs from across Canada, many rescued from humane societies and shelters, with three shows held daily featuring racing, Frisbee catches, hurdle jumps and obstacle courses. Trainer Lisa Sun, who has worked with SuperDogs for 15 years, now performs with her pugs Mario, Luigi and Yoshi after growing up watching the show as a child.
Show host David Acer said SuperDogs offers audiences of all ages a shared moment of joy and a break from daily stress. The PNE and CNE fairs featuring the shows were set to close on Monday.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.