A Planet Saved is a Planet Earned 💰 Plus, unleashing cash-hunting hounds 

My mate Hansen came over the other day, we were playing chase in the garden, and he sniffed out my secret stash of buried goodies. 

He dug up my prized ancient bone and tried to bargain with me, offering me some cash he had managed to pilfer from his human as a trade.

That bone had been buried for years, way before my time on Earth, I explained to him.

And what good was a $20 bill to me other than to tear it up in seconds? A split-second satisfaction rating, if I’m being honest.

But he just didn’t get it, and I couldn’t shake him off.

How on earth did he think that was a fair trade?

How on earth…then it dawned on me that this is the same as humans valuing money over the planet.

Humans dig up ancient plants and animals, label them fossil fuels and use fossil fuels to drive the economy.

They think money makes the world go round. 

In fact, Planet Earth makes the world go round.

Without the help of humans and despite the hindrance of humans.

She never needed money to nurture her oceans, refresh her air, regenerate her landscapes, or respect all species. 

These things are not available on shelves in a shop for purchase, easily restocked once sold out.

Money doesn’t mean anything to Planet Earth! 

Money doesn’t heal her from being ravaged for her resources; it can’t replenish the millions of years old fossils humans extract from her daily. 

Money hasn't managed to replicate her, match her sheer awesomeness, or recreate the astonishing magnitude of complexity that is nature.

Money doesn’t nourish a human’s soul, nor does it nourish Earth’s soil.

And yet, money is revered as the number one priority by humans.

Humans cannot survive without Planet Earth.

Planet Earth will survive without humans.

I told Hansen he was barking mad if he thought I would swap an ancient bone for a few bits of paper! 

Humans must be barking mad too.

DID YOU KNOW...

Travelling to Australia with $10,000 or more?  Yass, the sniffer dog may be on your tail.

Trained to hunt down a specific volume of money, Yass doesn’t care for anything less than $10,000. 

Now that’s what I call a clever doggy! 

ANDRE HUNTS DOWN THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

'Andre, my dog Hansen steals anything sitting on the tables in our house.  Money, keys, mail - anything! How can I teach him these items are out of bounds?' 

Hansen sounds a little like me – curious! And there is nothing wrong with being curious, it is one of my best traits.

In fact, I like to say curiosity thrilled the cat.

But, out of sight, out of mind is the best tool to use here. Anytime your dog discovers items on a worktop or table that they can take and stash, pull apart, or munch will teach them the worktop or table is a great place to look.

So, firstly get into the habit of putting your stuff away until Hansen learns it is not the place to look.

If you catch him taking something from a table, do not give chase, as this is nothing but a fun game for him and will reinforce his behaviour.

Instead, find something to trade with him, calmly offer him an item of value that he is allowed to play with, perhaps one of his toys and do a swap.

Be careful though, as you probably want to avoid this situation, as cute as it is. 

Never praise him for taking your money. 

Remember, curiosity is a great trait, and providing different outlets for Hansen to be curious, playful and have fun is key.  Otherwise, he will get bored and frustrated and head straight back to your tabletops to hunt for entertainment.

THE DIRT WORTH ROLLING IN...

• Bitcoin’s more than Bitesize environmental impact  {link}
• A few Fossil Fuel facts {link}
• Seeing is believing – the scars Mining leaves on the Planet {link}

HUMANS WHO PLAY NICE WITH THE PLANET®

The Vegan Land Movement is all about respecting Planet Earth.  They work tirelessly to give land back to the Earth by helping to regenerate and replenish it, which encourages the return of species to their natural habitats.

Of course, this comes at a cost – money can't buy love, but it can buy land. 

First, money is needed to buy the land and save it from other destructive uses.  Only then can the hard work begin on regenerating it.

Want to help restore Planet Earth?  You can contribute by sharing ideas, knowledge and funds via the Global Vegan Crowd Funder (VGCF) platform.  

That's all for this month.  I'm off to re-bury my ancient bone!! 

See you next time.

Howling out,
Andre

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