What in the Heck is a Potcake?
Potcakes are the stray island dogs in The Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands. Officially recognized by the Bahamas Kennel Club as the Royal Bahamian Potcake, the term Potcake is now being used outside of the West Indies on various Caribbean islands, too. But, let’s dive a little deeper with our friend, Mariah Moyle. She wrote an amazing book called Escape to the Bahamas and has a fantastic section about Potcakes. She has four! And, if you are interested in what it might be like to move to The Bahamas, be sure to pick up a copy of her book that came out in 2020! We’re using it ourselves and it’s VERY HELPFUL! Here is an excerpt from her book that she so graciously let us use here on our site.
Potcakes
"I heart my Potcake," and "I heart my Potcat" (for cat owners), are stickers you'll see on many-a-vehicle in the islands. Potcakes are the lovable island mutt of the Bahamas. They're named after the rice cake that sticks to the bottom of the pot, which was the standard mutt fare. The Royal Bahamian Potcake is its proper name, and although the name may sound regal, these dogs pretty much just look like "a dog." You know the dog emoji on your phone? They look like that. They are usually pretty plain with regards to physique, unless they have traits of a breed in them. Their coats, however, vary greatly and can be brown, black, brindle, tan, red or spotted. They generally weigh 40-60 Ibs. and are wiry in stature. I have one Potcake who weighs about 75 lbs. with a short yellow coat, and we are pretty confident he has Labrador in him. Another one of ours is about the same size but has a reddish coat and blocky head and appears to have Rhodesian Ridgeback traits. The youngest one weighs just 30 lbs. and is a scrappy little thing with a fawn-colored coat and no evidence of any breed whatsoever.
Potcakes are fiercely loyal and amazing family pets. They will protect their property and family, but I never worry about aggression if I invite a stranger in. They seem so incredibly intuitive, that they just know who's accepted within our circle, and who is a potential threat.
One of the rescue dogs we adopted in Harbour Island was found tied up in someone's backyard and emaciated. Literally, his bones were protruding out of his skin. He came with major behavioral issues that we've had to deal with since adopting him. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into by adopting a dog with emotional baggage. We went through extensive doggie/human training together, and he's calmed down significantly due to our work. He has taught me so much about patience and compassion, albeit pushing my buttons to the absolute limits at times. But he is now 6-years old and a wonderful part of our family. Ours was an extreme circumstance, and most people have lovely experiences with the dogs and cats they adopt.
If you love dogs or cats and would like to consider adopting. you can contact the Bahamas Humane Society in Nassau, and there are a few other rescue organizations on various Our Islands. Even if you don’t end up moving here, they regularly export dogs and cats to the U.S, and Canada for adoption.
Excerpt from Escape to the Bahamas by Mariah Laine Moyle with Out Island Life.
