MY FAITHFUL POTCAKE FRIENDS
WASHINGTON DC – Man’s best friend is the domestic dog. In the Caribbean islands and The Bahamas there is a large population of stray dogs, commonly known as potcakes. The name is derived from a dish known as peas and rice that leaves a crusty layer in the bottom of the pan called potcake, which is often scraped out and given to the dogs to eat.
The origin of the potcake dog goes way back in history. It is believed that during the time of the Arawak indians, who inhabited the islands before Christopher Columbus arrived, there were feral dogs living in the islands. Later, Europeans and Loyalists from the Carolinas brought terriers and possibly fighting dogs that mixed with the feral population.
As a result of their very mixed heritage, potcakes took on certain characteristics, such as large ears that tend to curl at the tips, short hair, very little undercoat, and wiry, muscular bodies. They range in size from about 25 to 70lbs. Potcakes are known for being very territorial and loyal when taken in as pets, and make good alert dogs. Many people keep them in their yards for security. Stray potcakes roam the islands in packs, often becoming a nuisance overturning garbage bins looking for food, fighting with each other – and on rare occasions – actually attacking humans. This has become more of a problem since the introduction of more aggressive breeds in the islands such as pitbulls.
During the time that I lived in The Bahamas I had four potcakes. My first one was Chase, a nice looking black dog with a slightly shaggy coat. He had been abandoned at the local Humane Society by his owners, who claimed that they had to chain him up all the time because he kept running off and chasing people. Hence his name.
After Chase there was another big, beautiful, fluffy coated potcake with tricoloured fur – this time a female. I got her as a puppy. From the word go she was very attached to me. One day I was listening to Elton John singing his famous song, Nikita, a song I absolutely love, and so that became her name. Niki for short.
She grew quite big for a potcake, easily about 80lbs. She was beautiful, with a long haired curled tail that she carried like plume, always waving as she trotted along beside me on long walks to the beach. Tourists were always stopping us to admire her, and she seemed to love the attention. However, she was also very protective and would never let a strange man get too close without a warning! She was fine with women, though. I trained Niki to sit and shake hands when commanded and after going through this little ritual with a stranger she would then accept that person and allow them to be around me.
I loved taking Niki to the beach. She would swim alongside me and loved the water. She was also very attached to my children, and when they came home from school in the UK for the holidays, Niki seemed to know that they would be coming, and instead of her customary greeting at my driver’s side of the car, she would come flying out of the house and run straight to the passenger side to greet Claire and Christopher, wildly excited to see them.
Niki was my constant companion for 12 years. When she crossed the rainbow bridge she peacefully went to sleep in my arms. I couldn’t bear to see her buried in the garden. At the time I was going through a very difficult emotional period of my life, and she had been my rock. I built a small garden around her grave, and planted a pink poui tree to give her shade.
It wasn’t long after Niki’s death that I saw a potcake mother in a bushy area outside the backyard. She had seven beautiful plump fluffy little puppies, and one in particular stood out – he was black with white paws and a white mark dividing the black fur on his face. He was so incredibly cute, but very frightened. I was really torn, still hurting from losing Niki, but as my son Chris said, Bailey came along at the right time to be my little “void filler”. His mother seemed to have a very sweet nature. It was almost as though she was asking for human help to take care of her and her puppies. I could only take one, but I was able to find friends to take a few of the remaining ones. After I took Bailey home she moved the last two puppies into our yard, as if to say please help the rest of us. I decided the best thing would be to take her and her pups to the Humane Society, and they gladly accepted them.
I am a photographer and liked to go into remote places to look for things in nature to photograph, especially hummingbirds. Bailey became my close companion and really enjoyed these outings. I would let him off his leash so he could explore freely, and this was his happiest time. He never seemed at ease being confined indoors. When he was about two years old I saw a drunkard walking in town carrying a little light brown potcake puppy, and was horrified to see that he was feeding it a Snickers bar. Chocolate can be deadly for dogs, and this puppy was obviously only a couple of months old. I asked the man to give me the puppy, and when I flashed a $20 bill he handed her over without a second thought. And this is how Brandy came into our lives.
Brandy grew fast. By the time she was eight months old she was almost as big as Bailey, and her ears were erect, unlike Bailey’s that tried to stay straight but flopped over from the middle. The vet believed that Brandy was a pitbull and German shepherd mix. By the time she was fully grown she was a really beautiful golden colour, short haired but long legged, with a tail that wagged like a whip. She loved people but didn’t take to other dogs too well, although she and Bailey were practically inseperable. They would chase each other up and down the yard, and all over the beaches. They would take off together as soon as their leashes were removed, and I loved to watch them enjoying their moments of freedom together.
When I left Nassau to move to Washington DC, I had to make the heart-rending decision to leave Brandy and Bailey behind. It wasn’t an easy decision at all, but I found them a home where they could be together.
It has been over two years now, and I still miss them. I try to make up for it by petting all the dogs in our building, and even taking one of them, a very handsome golden retriever named Tucker, for walks now and then. I know I made the best decision for my two beloved potcakes. Although potcakes do well when foreigners adopt them and take them abroad, I think Bailey and Brandy needed to be together in an environment where they would not be confined. They are both big dogs, and need lots of space to run around, leapfrogging as they play chase together.
And as I get older, I think if I ever get another pet it is going to have to be a cat!
