For one clever dog in Monterrey, Colombia, money really does grow on trees.
For the past five years, a black dog has been living on the campus of Colombia’s Diversified Technical Education Institute of Monterrey Casanare. The students call him “Negro,” and many believe he’s a guardian of the campus, keeping watch over the students and faculty.
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The faculty had long ago started feeding the dog, so he seems happy enough to stick around. Everywhere he goes on campus, there’s always someone willing to give him a scratch behind the ears or a belly rub on their way to or from class.
He’s become an unofficial school mascot!
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Students and staff recently noticed something interesting about Negro. The dog would often visit the campus store, where students buy food and other treats.
According to a post on Facebook, Angela said that he showed up to the store one day asking for treats like the students, but wasn’t given any. So Negro watched the transactions more closely, and before anyone knew what was happening, he got the hang of what was going on.
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“He would go to the store and watch the children give money and receive something in exchange,” said teacher Angela Garcia Bernal. “Then one day, spontaneous, he appeared with a leaf in his mouth, wagging his tail and letting it be known that he wanted a cookie.”
“When you first see it, you almost want to cry. He’s found a way to make himself understood. He’s very intelligent,” Angela went on.
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After Negro discovered that he’d be given a treat in exchange for a leaf, he started “going shopping” regularly! In fact, the school officials have to limit his trips to the store to just a few per day, otherwise, he’d get far too “fluffy.”
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“He comes for cookies every day,” said store attendant Gladys Barreto. “He always pays with a leaf. It is his daily purchase.”
What a smart doggy. It’s so wonderful that the entire community is looking out for Negro this way. More proof that family is wherever you find it!
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