Potcake Rescue

Three years ago an animal lover on vacation in the Bahamas saw a litter of puppies by the side of the road on the way to the airport. The image haunted her during the flight home and she decided she needed to go back with a crate and save them.

Two weeks later armed with a crate and a sense of desperation Jill went hunting for the sad eyed puppies. To her dismay there was only one survivor - the rest were killed and left for dead along the road. Jill captured and brought this baby home to Canada. This was the unknowing beginning to Potcake Rescue.

Over the next three years Jill began organizing. She spearheaded operation spay/neuter in the Bahamas. She organized volunteers to go to the Bahamas (on their own dime) including two veterinarians, to run a spay and neuter clinic in the Bahama Humane Society.

They went to unknown houses and asked if they could take the family dogs and cats to the clinic for the day and get them altered for free. The pets would be returned home later that night. They captured stray dogs and cats and altered them too. If you were intact in the Bahamas durning that hectic week you were in danger of getting "altered".

Jill brought home four puppies on this trip all have found loving homes in Canada.

The locals in the Bahamas call their stray dogs Potcakes, because that is what they eat. The family meal usually consists of beans and rice with a layer being burned into the bottom of the pot. The burnt layer is what the family call potcakes and it's what they feed their dogs.

Potcakes are generally quiet, watchful and non-aggressive dogs. They aren't big into barking or roughhousing,  unless with another potcake. They don't have an undercoat, so they don't shed much. They come in all colours, shapes and sizes. They are great around cats, kids or any small animals (not saying kids are small animals). Not much phases these thoughtful pups.

I am friends with Maria, and Maria is friends with Jill, so naturally our love of the dogs drew us close. I fostered my first potcake on April 23, 2011. The little guy who scampered into my home and heart is a small blonde potcake who weights eight pounds.

He's already had several names: Archie, Shamus, Potcake Pete, Peter Potcake, Puppy Potcake and PK. He answers to none of them. He's a delightful little pup with an even temper and is a quick learner. Blonde with a bold dash of white on his forehead he charmed us immediately.

After a week he's 80% housebroke, has taught himself to sit and is gaining respect for the rest of the pack. He's also a star on camera.

Potcake Pete found an amazing forever home with two young girls as puppy-mates in the big land of Toronto. His new mom and dad are devoted and caring parents who have taken Potcake Pete on as their newest little boy.

More to come...