Stray Dog Becomes Beloved Tennis Court Mascot | The Animal Rescue Site

Every now and then, a simple story of a stray animal and a kind community captures something quietly profound about what it means to belong. In the Colombian town of Guarne, a stray dog who wandered onto a public tennis court in 2014 eventually became far more than a curious visitor. He grew into the tennis center’s official mascot, loyal ball collector, and, eventually, a local legend remembered in stone. For anyone who loves rescue dogs or stories of unexpected friendship, Roger the stray dog who became a tennis court mascot is easy to fall in love with.

Roger’s story began when a black dog no one recognized trotted into the Institute of Sports and Recreation of Guarne, also known as INDER. He appeared on the tennis courts as if he had always belonged there, completely captivated by one very specific thing: tennis balls. According to instructor Duván Henao, who spoke in a video shared on Facebook, the dog was “obsessed” with them and seemed to go “crazy” with excitement whenever a ball bounced in his direction.

On that first day, Roger sprinted after every stray ball that flew past the baseline. The instructors, surprised but amused, watched him chase the bright yellow prizes with unfiltered joy. They set out food and water for him, accepting that this determined newcomer clearly intended to stay for a while. When closing time came and the last player left the court, Roger did not wander off. Instead, he stayed behind, curling up at the place that would soon become his permanent home.

Over the next eleven years, Roger became a daily presence at INDER’s tennis courts. At the beginning, he was just the enthusiastic “ball dog” who delighted in chasing anything hit out of bounds. What changed everything was what he decided to do next. Rather than hoarding the balls or disappearing with them, he slowly began to bring them back. At first this new routine was imperfect. As Henao recalled, Roger would often grab a ball and take off running, reluctant to give up his prize. With time and repetition, he learned that delivering the balls back to players was part of the fun.

Those small acts transformed a stray dog into an unofficial teammate. The instructors and students at INDER came to see Roger as the tennis court’s trusted ball collector. He turned an ordinary training session into something special, not only making practice smoother but also creating a sense of joyful anticipation every time a ball escaped the court. Watching him race after each bounce, tail wagging and ears alert, became part of the rhythm of the game.

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