There’s Pig Beach in the Bahamas, but have you heard of Potcake Place?
Well, first, have you heard of a potcake? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either.
These little guys are (adorable!) mixed-breed pups, mostly of German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and Fox Terrier ancestry, that are local to Caribbean Islands, named after a rice mixture that residents use to feed the thousands of strays that call the region home.
According to CNN, a survey a few years ago estimated that over 5,000 stray potcakes live just on the island of Providenciales.
Enter Potcake Place, a volunteer-based nonprofit on Turks and Caicos that rescues and then works to adopt out these babies to reduce the number of strays on the islands, and they use the best method they know of: capitalizing on the compassion and spendy attitude of tourists.
It’s a pretty sweet deal, actually, even if you’re not looking to adopt a puppy. One of the biggest things the nonprofit actually asks for is volunteers to bring their dogs out for socialization. They provide Grace Bay Beach and the supplies, and you provide the love. Also, it’s free.
I think you know where I’m going with this -- if you ever take a vacation to Turks and Caicos, you can go borrow a puppy and play with it on the beach for a couple of hours, and not only is it great for you, but it’s a pretty sought-after service at Potcake Place.
"Start getting it used to having a little collar on, a little harness, used to different people," found Jane Parker-Rauw told CNN. "So one day I want them out with a family with little kids. The next day, I want them out with a big guy."
And if you do end up falling in love with a potcake and wish to bring him home after your vacation, no worries! The organization makes all the travel arrangements for the puppies, including dropping them off at the airport. Parker-Rauw does make sure that families aren’t just falling under the spell of paradise when they choose to adopt, though.
"It's not like picking up a souvenir. And we'd rather talk people out of adoption than into adoption,” she said.
I’m not in the market for a puppy, but I can picture it now: Spending an afternoon on a pristine beach and my only worry being whether or not a puppy is going to lick all the SPF off my face.
I just booked my one-way flight -- who’s coming with?