Sting is a therapy dog who has participated in a “Paws to Read” reading program for many years. The program aims to help kids learn to read without being pressured or judged harshly. It was and still is a successful project operating at the White Bear Lake Library in Minnesota all year round.
Although the program is popular, there are months when the reading appointments are slow. February is one example. But that one February day, no one came to read. It was a shock for the organizers as it never happened before.
It was also clear that Sting was disappointed with the absence of readers. He was sad, bored, and all alone. That’s when Ann, the librarian, devised a great idea. To encourage reading appointments, Sting’s owner, John Muellner, shared Sting’s sad plight on social media, specifically Facebook.
John never thought that Sting’s story would receive so many responses. Soon, people came from all over the city to sign up for a reading session with Sting, the therapy dog. Some even flew over to Minnesota just to read for Sting. What a great way to get attention.
With the post shared 100,000 times, more and more people support poor Sting. Kids are all eager to sign up for a reading session with Sting. John said in an interview that he was not so surprised by what the internet can do, but he was astounded by the responses he received worldwide.
Sting became an instant internet sensation because of John’s post. But most importantly, Sting’s schedule is now fully booked for the next few months – filled with eager children ready to read for Sting. John is delighted with the outcome as he knows Sting will have company in the library again.
Source WCCO – CBS Minnesota via YouTube
