Sport, Summerlin’s unofficial dog mascot, left legacy

Sport was more than a pretty face. He was Summerlin’s best buddy.

Sport, a border collie/springer spaniel mix rescued by Mark Roberts and Nicole Dutt-Roberts, appeared in ads for the community for years.

He died Feb. 13.

Dutt-Roberts, one of the founders of the local nonprofit Heaven Can Wait, found Sport in 2002 while pulling dogs scheduled to be put down at the Dewey Animal Shelter.

“I said, ‘Look at how cute that black-and-white one is right there,’” she said. “I pulled his mouth, his ears and his tail and he just sat there. His tail never stopped wagging.”

Dutt-Roberts trained him as a foster dog, which was a two-year process. He never growled. He barely barked.

But he was a puppy and wasn’t perfect. Sport gnawed on sunglasses, some TV remotes and a friend’s expensive pair of Italian shoes.

He was, however, too lovable to give up.

Sport became a therapy dog. He visited senior living homes and special needs students and was an ambassador for Heaven Can Wait. Sport was also a part of the Tales to Tails program at Monaco Middle School, allowing children with poor reading skills to read to dogs.

Dutt-Roberts’ favorite story about Sport involved her giving a talk on the therapy program to about 500 people, when her husband took Sport into the crowd.

“He went right to this woman in a wheelchair,” Roberts said. “Most dogs would be afraid of the metal or whatever, but he went right up to this woman and laid his head in her lap. That’s when we knew this dog (was) special.”

They said Sport knew his role as a therapy dog.

“He’d perk up if he saw a child,” Dutt-Roberts said. “… We took him to a dog beach and expected him to go run with the other dogs, but he went around and (visited) the people.”

In 2004, The Howard Hughes Corp., builder of Summerlin, held a photo contest at Gardens Park. Dutt-Roberts raced in at the last moment with Sport.

“One of the judges stopped us and said, ‘I really like his look. He’s the best one we’ve seen,’” Dutt-Roberts said. “We got a call within a week, saying he’d (been selected).”

Sport was Summerlin’s unofficial dog mascot, showing up in magazines, newspapers and even a calendar. He was in the Summerlin Parade. His picture was on a billboard near Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway for more than a year.

“All our friends would call us up and say, ‘I saw Sport on the billboard today,’” Roberts said. “The calendar was mailed out, but the billboard was special. Everybody saw it.”

Sport accompanied Roberts, an ultra-marathon competitor, on his mountain bike workouts, sometimes logging as many as 15 miles in a day.

In Sport’s senior years, the couple curtailed his running. At 10, Sport fell at home. Dutt-Roberts found him spread-eagle on the slick tile floor.

“The look on his face, I knew he was in pain,” she said. “I didn’t know how long he’d been there like that.”

She scooped him up and took him to the veterinarian. He had a torn tendon and pulled groin.

His health declined after that.

About 1½ years ago, Sports had trouble walking. His back legs wouldn’t cooperate, and then he couldn’t get up by himself.

The couple got him a wagon so he could go to the park or continue being a therapy dog. That wagon came with a license plate that said “Sport.”

“His last gig was The Caring Place, for people with cancer,” Dutt-Roberts said. “I’d bring him home and he’d smell like perfume because he got so many hugs and kisses.”

Sport was euthanized at the couple’s home, surrounded by family and four-legged friends. He was one of 400 dogs and cats the couple have fostered.

“As hard as it was (to euthanize Sport), I feel peaceful to think about him running with his buddies,” Dutt-Roberts said.

To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.