A RINGWOOD pooch who featured in a Commonwealth Games opening ceremony performed as ‘best dog’ at his owner’s wedding in his latest starring role.

Five-year-old Archie Clegg wore his best ‘bow wow’ tie and collar to stand by Jim’s side as he said his vows to partner, Celia, in a special ceremony in Scotland on Valentine’s Day.

Archie, who has his own Facebook and Twitter accounts, was joined by his best friends, Bonnie, a fellow Scottish Terrier and Silvie the West Highland Terrier, who acted as the ‘flower girls’.

Jim, 63, says that the happy occasion took place following years of sadness due to the death of his wife, Jean, five years ago from a battle with pancreatic cancer. After several years by himself, he met Celia around 19-months-ago through an online dating website.

“Archie has always been here for me so it just made sense. He has been an integral part in all of this. We booked it up a year ago and so it’s been a long wait. We decided a long time ago that we’d go off and get married in the most simple way possible.

“I think that Archie was that rock that brought us together. We are just two people that have found happiness after the sadness,” said Jim.

Archie featured as part of a group of Scottish Terriers at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, leading the Bangladeshi and Trinidad and Tobago teams in front of the Queen at the beginning of the event.

Jim says that following Archie’s appearance at the Games, the four-legged friend, despite not being a rescue pet himself, has helped to spread the word about the Scottish Terrier Emergency Care Scheme (STECS), which aims to find new homes for the breed.

“He has written stories in the charity’s newsletter and given talks, with my help, at the townswomen’s guild and a retirement home in Blandford.

“He was the second dog at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony because he is quite outgoing. He seems to click a little button from being a little so-and-so now and again into being a showman.

“He did think the Queen was going to bow to him as he walked past so I think he was a little bit disappointed about that.”

For more information about the charity which Archie supports, go to www.stecs.net