Mag Mile’s self-walking dog, Sporty, has died at 12
Golden retriever had 80K followers on Instagram
Chicago’s famous selfwalking dog, Sporty, who has approximately 80,000 Instagram followers, died Nov. 14.
The 12-year-old golden retriever was known for carrying his leash in his mouth during his daily walk, while his human, David Duncan, walked behind him.
“It’s a common trait in any retriever (to hold something or present something); it’s kind of in their DNA,” Duncan said. “He would always have to hold something, no matter what was nearby. He’d grab and bring me a towel, an article of clothing, something. He’d bring it with his big smiling face and wagging tail and he’d be so proud to give me something.”
When Sporty was still a relatively young dog, the pair would go on walks and he’d start putting the leash in his mouth and pulling at it. After a few more months of Sporty trying, Duncan felt confident and put the leash in Sporty’s mouth, he said.
“The most impressive thing was his responsiveness to commands,” Duncan said about the adjustment. “He was more obedient.”
The duo started off small, walking together around the block, usually at night with fewer cars around and “taking all precautions necessary.” But soon, Duncan could tell Sporty wanted to go farther, so they expanded their walking pattern, he said.
“We walked the same path and he was familiar with it, so he’d take the lead a little and walk in front of me and pick up pace,” recalled Duncan. “In new areas, he’d get right to my six or on my heel. That was part of the trust.”
On nice days when weather conditions were right and Sporty had high energy, they’d walk about 4 miles, Duncan said. They frequented River North, Michigan Avenue, the Loop, Gold Coast and the River Walk. “It was just great,” said Duncan, “we’d get a lot of Chicago in.”
Duncan adopted Sporty when he was 6 from a breeder family that lived on a farm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he said. “(Sporty) was made for the city,” said Duncan. “He loved people.”
Sporty died from cancer, specifically battling small cell lymphoma that grew into large cell lymphoma in his stomach. The initial diagnosis came in December 2017, Duncan said.
“He was such a strong dog; he was a fighter for almost two years,” said the 36-year-old River North resident. “I knew whatever time we got was great, but you’re still not prepared for it when it happens. He was just such a great dog; just so perfect.”
To help cover Sporty’s medical costs, Duncan started a GoFundMe and received more than $31,000 in donations. “I can’t believe he even raised that much money,” said Duncan. “It just shows that (Sporty) had such an effect on people.”
In the post, Duncan wrote that “whatever is left over we’ll donate to other pets in need.” He has about $10,000 in excess he said, and is still trying to figure out where he wants to give it.
“I’m open to advice from people who may have done something similar,” he said. “Every donation we got was amazing. It’s really humbling to know we can have such an affect on people.”
Right now, Duncan is focusing on adjusting to his new normal, but says he’s not going to stop posting on Sporty’s Instagram page.
“The way he walked, he had a real swagger and waggle to him. You knew he had the confidence the way he glided across the pavement.”
One day in the far future, Duncan knows he’ll get another golden retriever.
“They’re the best dogs,” he said. “Part of the agreement is you know that one day will come, you dread it, but it’s what makes them so great: the time we have with them.”