Sad Minnesota Library Dog Kills It On Social Media

HUGO, MN — Earlier this year, the world dropped a collective tear for Sting, a retired greyhound racer portrayed as the saddest dog in Minnesota because none of the children in the White Bear Library literacy program wanted to read to him. But after pictures of the forlorn looking dog with a naturally long face struck a chord worldwide, the children clamored for a chance to read to him.

Sting now has his own Facebook page, where he has nearly 4,000 followers, and an Instagram account, where about 1,060 people are keeping up with his antics. He has a new buddy, Luigi, a Galgo (Spanish greyhound) and Podenco mix that lived most of his life with rescue groups.

Sting and Luigi are hits at the library. And Sting regularly stops by the Gillette Children’s Hospital in Saint Paul, where he gives comfort to the sick kids.

Muellner, 56, adopted Sting eight years ago this month after he ended his racing career at a now-shuttered greyhound track in Iowa. Other retired greyhounds have become therapy dogs, and Sting’s human, John Muellner, knew he would be a natural fit.

For one thing, Sting is the perfect height and bedridden or wheelchair-bound patients don’t have to bend over to stroke his silky coat. Sting and other greyhounds are also sweet, calm and good-natured.

“Nothing scares him,” Muellner said, pointing out that because Sting is so laid back, he isn’t spooked by wheelchairs, walkers and unfamiliar noises.

“He treats everyone the same,” Muellner said of Sting. “The parents will lower the side rail on the hospital bed, and Sting is so easygoing. I can’t tell you how many times he has been poked, had his ears pulled or been stepped on, and he keeps trucking right along. He takes what’s dished out without getting mad or trying to get away.”

See More: Sad Dog Inundated With Requests From Kids Who Want To Read To Him

Luigi, who came to the United States from Spain, joined Sting earlier this year after Colin, another greyhound Muellner adopted, died in December.

And although Sting is no longer lonely at the library, Luigi has stolen a bit of his limelight.

“Honestly, in some ways, Luigi does a little better because he loves the attention, loves to stick his nose where he shouldn’t while kids are reading,” Muellner said. “Sting doesn’t put a whole lot of effort into it. With some kids, it draws them in when they see Sting coming across the room and they’re excited, but when he gets close they’re shy. But he just stands there and lets them pet him. He doesn’t move around much.”

The change in the children who read to the dogs at the library in White Bear is remarkable, Muellner said. The idea behind the Paws to Read program is to help children improve their literacy skills by reading aloud to a non-judgmental audience.

“We have several kids, when they first sit down to read, who are not sure what to do,” he said. “You can barely hear them talk, but hopefully by the end, they will be raising voices with exclamation points or question.”

Sting got his social media pages in March after stories of the lonely library dog spread on social and traditional media. Muellner enjoys digging into analytics to see who his fans are and where they live. Most are overseas, particularly in Australia, where greyhound racing is also strong.

“In the beginning, it was easily 80 percent women and 20 percent men, but now it’s 65-35,” he said.

Muellner recommends to others that they adopt the docile greyhounds, whether as therapy dogs or as a family pet. With all of the dogs he has adopted, he takes a few days off his job as at Multi-Tech Systems in Mound View, Minnesota, where he designs and lays out circuit boards.

“With any adoption dog, you should take off a few days to get used to each other and a new schedule, which they’re used to,” he said. “It’s a totally new situation.”

If you’re interested in adopting a greyhound, a good place to start is Greyhound Pets of America, which has chapters in about 30 states, including Minnesota.

Follow Sting and Luigi on Facebook.
Follow Sting and Luigi on Instagram.

All photos courtesy of John Muellner