fp Turks and Caicos

Potcakes made news in the United States this week when a family who rescued one of the islands’ strays told its story on NBC’s Today show.

Elizabeth Sunshine from Newark, N.J., told her story of saving little Wilma, a small, squirmy black potcake puppy. The rescue was made possible thanks to a friendly vacationing couple from Connecticut who carried the puppy to Sunshine after she officially adopted her from the Potcake Place on Providenciales.

Wilma is Sunshines second potcake, after adopting Shelby in January of this year.

“All the people involved in this whole process are just wonderful, wonderful people,” said Sunshine, 47, of Kinderhook, N.Y. on the Today show. “They’re serious about giving these dogs forever homes.”

Providenciales resident Jane Parker-Rauw founded the non-profit organization in 2005 after rescuing several pups herself.

“We are probably slightly crazy people that can’t say no,” said Parker-Rauw, who is originally from England. “When you’ve met one of these pups, you’ll understand. I’ve had about 3,000 to 4,000 through my door now, and I remember pretty much every single one. They are just the most loyal, loving, intelligent dogs. They know they’ve been saved.

“What we’re doing here in no way solves the problem,” she stressed. “We need education, we need affordable spaying and neutering. But this is the only short-term solution we can find to prevent these dogs from dying in the bush.”

Potcake Place facilitates adoptions on the Internet through its Web site and Facebook page. The organization makes contact with people who want to adopt potcakes and with vacationing tourists who are willing to fly puppies back to their home countries. Parker-Rauw said about 40 percent of the pups fly home with their new owners, and 60 percent fly home with couriers.

On their Facebook page, potcake owners from around the globe share their stories and photos of loving these local pups.

Since the segment aired, the Potcake Place reports a doubling of their Facebook followers, creating a lot of interest in helping the organization in its mission to save potcake pups.

You can learn more about potcakes or how you can help adopt them by visiting the Potcake Place website at www.potcakeplace.com or follow them on Facebook.

Turn to page 21 of this edition of the fp and you can read tips of how help rescue a potcake in our Woof Corner. Each week in our Woof Corner we share stories of recent adoptions and pet news.