Potcake Dog
Encyclopedia
The potcake dog is a mixed-breed dog
type from the Turks and Caicos Islands
and the Bahamas
. Its name comes from the congealed rice and pea mixture that local residents traditionally fed stray dogs. Although appearance varies, potcake dogs generally have smooth coats, cocked ears, and long faces.
Stray potcake dogs roam the streets of their native islands and are considered nuisances because of the region's dependence on tourism
. Volunteer organisations have made efforts to rehome strays, and offer free spaying and neutering
.
s protecting supplies from rodents on ships that arrived in Eleuthera
, New Providence
, and the Abaco Islands
; and dogs from North Carolina
that arrived with Loyalists
during the American Revolutionary War
period.
The type's name is derived from the term "potcake", which refers to the congealed rice and pea mixture at the bottom of a cooking pot that Bahamians have traditionally fed to stray dogs. In Nassau
alone, there are an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 stray potcakes. In the late 1970s, the Bahamas named the type the "Royal Bahamian Potcake". As of February 2011, the Bahamas Kennel Club lists it separately from the mixed-breed dog within Group 9 – Non-Registered.
or have hound
, mastiff
, spaniel
, terrier
, or retriever
characteristics. The type typically has cocked ears, a long face, and a smooth coat without undercoat, or less commonly, a "shaggy" or rough coat. The most usual body colour is brown, though others occur, including black, white, red, cream, yellow, and particolour
.
On average, a potcake dog will stand approximately 24 inches (61 cm) at the withers
. Healthy dogs typically weigh from 45 to 50 lb (20.4 to 22.7 kg), while strays may weigh only 25 pounds (11.3 kg).
. Pedestrians have been attacked by stray potcakes, and one percent of tourists said they found the dogs' condition frightening or were "turned off" by it.
Local organisations adopt out stray potcake dogs to alleviate the overpopulation
problem. In 2005, Turks and Caicos-based rescue organisation Potcake Place became a registered charity. After running out of families to adopt to on Providenciales
, volunteers connected with potential adopters through the rescue's website and Facebook
page. Puppies are vaccinated and sent on airlift
s free of charge to adopters. Additionally, several large, no-kill United States shelters accept potcake puppies. The Humane Society of Grand Bahama, located in Freeport
, ships them to Florida
on ferries
.
to bring greater attention to animal welfare issues. He was also an Ambassador of Hope for homeless animals until his death due to cancer in 2007. Amigo has appeared on MSNBC
, Fox News, and CNN
, and received the Ambassador of Goodwill and Hollywood Life Breakthrough of the Year 2007 awards. In 2009, he was one of four potcake dogs honoured in a series of commemorative stamps.
Potcake dogs Daisy and Dusty, born in Providenciales and owned by Andy LoCascio
, are trained to locate fish through scent on the water and distant cries of feeding sea birds. They have been featured on television and in magazines, including Northeast Boating Magazine
.
Musician Lenny Kravitz is often accompanied by Leroy Brown, his potcake dog, while in residence on the island of Eleuthera.
Mixed-breed dog
A mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...
type from the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
and the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
. Its name comes from the congealed rice and pea mixture that local residents traditionally fed stray dogs. Although appearance varies, potcake dogs generally have smooth coats, cocked ears, and long faces.
Stray potcake dogs roam the streets of their native islands and are considered nuisances because of the region's dependence on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Volunteer organisations have made efforts to rehome strays, and offer free spaying and neutering
Neutering
Neutering, from the Latin neuter , is the removal of an animal's reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The process is often used in reference to males whereas spaying is often reserved for females. Colloquially, both terms are often referred to as fixing...
.
History
The ancestry of the potcake dog is shared among dogs from both sets of islands, since many residents of Turks and Caicos were originally from nearby islands and took their dogs with them. Three types may have contributed to development: dogs the Arawak brought with them to the Bahamas; terrierTerrier
A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...
s protecting supplies from rodents on ships that arrived in Eleuthera
Eleuthera
Eleuthera is an island in The Bahamas, lying 50 miles east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000...
, New Providence
New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It also houses the national capital city, Nassau.The island was originally under Spanish control following Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, but the Spanish government showed...
, and the Abaco Islands
Abaco Islands
The Abaco Islands lie in the northern Bahamas and comprise the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco, together with the smaller Wood Cay, Elbow Cay, Lubbers Quarters Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Castaway Cay, Man-o-War Cay, Stranger's Cay, Umbrella Cay, Walker's Cay, Little Grand...
; and dogs from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
that arrived with Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
period.
The type's name is derived from the term "potcake", which refers to the congealed rice and pea mixture at the bottom of a cooking pot that Bahamians have traditionally fed to stray dogs. In Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
alone, there are an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 stray potcakes. In the late 1970s, the Bahamas named the type the "Royal Bahamian Potcake". As of February 2011, the Bahamas Kennel Club lists it separately from the mixed-breed dog within Group 9 – Non-Registered.
Appearance
Although described as having a "shepherd-mix" look, the potcake dog's appearance varies by island. It may resemble a typical pariah dogPariah dog
The term pariah dog originally referred to Chinese/Indian feral dogs of a particular type, but it is now used by the United Kennel Club to refer to a purebred dog category.- Feral dogs of India :...
or have hound
Hound
A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey, and with the retriever, which recovers shot quarry...
, mastiff
Molosser
Molosser is a category of large, solidly-built dog that includes several breeds, probably all descended from the same root stock. The name derives from Molossia, a subregion of ancient Epirus, ancient Greece, where the large shepherd dog was known as the Molossus.The proper noun "Mastiff", however,...
, spaniel
Spaniel
A spaniel is a type of gun dog. It is assumed spaniels originated from Spain as the word spaniel may be derived from Hispania or possibly from the French phrase "Chiens de l’Espagnol" . Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of dense brush. By the late 17th century spaniels had become...
, terrier
Terrier
A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...
, or retriever
Retriever
A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun-dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage...
characteristics. The type typically has cocked ears, a long face, and a smooth coat without undercoat, or less commonly, a "shaggy" or rough coat. The most usual body colour is brown, though others occur, including black, white, red, cream, yellow, and particolour
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
.
On average, a potcake dog will stand approximately 24 inches (61 cm) at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
. Healthy dogs typically weigh from 45 to 50 lb (20.4 to 22.7 kg), while strays may weigh only 25 pounds (11.3 kg).
Temperament
According to Jane Parker-Rauw, potcake dogs are intelligent, loyal, calm, and hardy. However, they tend to wander if not properly confined or supervised.Overpopulation and rescue efforts
The amount of stray potcake dogs on the Turks and Caicos Islands has increased, despite spay-and-neuter programmes designed to minimise their numbers. Because the territory is dependent on tourism, officials consider the dogs nuisances, and police have shot and poisoned them. Most strays have a lifespan of three years or less. In the Bahamas, misconceptions about spaying and neutering dissuade residents from altering their pets. According to The Bahamas Advocates for Animal Rights group, there are 11,000 unowned dogs in New ProvidenceNew Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It also houses the national capital city, Nassau.The island was originally under Spanish control following Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, but the Spanish government showed...
. Pedestrians have been attacked by stray potcakes, and one percent of tourists said they found the dogs' condition frightening or were "turned off" by it.
Local organisations adopt out stray potcake dogs to alleviate the overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
problem. In 2005, Turks and Caicos-based rescue organisation Potcake Place became a registered charity. After running out of families to adopt to on Providenciales
Providenciales
Providenciales is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The island has an area of and an approximate population of 15,542, making it the largest island in population and the third largest in area. It is served by the Providenciales International Airport...
, volunteers connected with potential adopters through the rescue's website and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page. Puppies are vaccinated and sent on airlift
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
s free of charge to adopters. Additionally, several large, no-kill United States shelters accept potcake puppies. The Humane Society of Grand Bahama, located in Freeport
Freeport, Bahamas
Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of Grand Bahama of the North-west Bahamas. In 1955, Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier with lumber interests in Grand Bahama, was granted 50,000 acres Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of...
, ships them to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
on ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
.
Notable dogs
A potcake dog named Amigo is the mascot of the Humane Society of Grand Bahama and the BEKIND Campaign, a collaboration with the HSUSHumane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
to bring greater attention to animal welfare issues. He was also an Ambassador of Hope for homeless animals until his death due to cancer in 2007. Amigo has appeared on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Fox News, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, and received the Ambassador of Goodwill and Hollywood Life Breakthrough of the Year 2007 awards. In 2009, he was one of four potcake dogs honoured in a series of commemorative stamps.
Potcake dogs Daisy and Dusty, born in Providenciales and owned by Andy LoCascio
Andy LoCascio
Andrew Philip LoCascio is an American TV host, acclaimed fisherman, and web entrepreneur. He is the founder and owner of Sound Strategies, Inc a leading NY based web services provider specializing in search engine optimization. He is considered one of the most influential SEO experts in the field....
, are trained to locate fish through scent on the water and distant cries of feeding sea birds. They have been featured on television and in magazines, including Northeast Boating Magazine
Northeast Boating Magazine
]Northeast Boating Magazine was a regional magazine focused on boating and leisure in New England and the US East Coast. It was a sister publication to Chesapeake Bay Magazine and covered parallel topics, such as boat reviews, information on marinas, marine services, and coastal...
.
Musician Lenny Kravitz is often accompanied by Leroy Brown, his potcake dog, while in residence on the island of Eleuthera.