By Tyler Treadway
Staff writer – tcpalm.com
Gretchen Cuffe of Stuart is going to the dogs.
Actually, Cuffe is going to the Bahamian island of Abaco, getting stray dogs and puppies and bringing them to Stuart in hopes of finding homes for them.
Cuffe, a volunteer with Abaco Dog Rescue in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, said there are 28 dogs on the island waiting to be brought to Florida.
Illegal dog fighting is a serious problem in the Bahamas, Cuffe said, adding that the dogs she helps rescue otherwise might end up as "bait" used to train fighters.
Most of the dogs being rescued are referred to as Bahamian potcakes — not a breed you're likely to see competing at the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
It's believed potcakes are the descendents of hunting dogs — retrievers — brought to the Bahamas from the Carolinas by Loyalists, folks loyal to the British crown after the American Revolution.
"They tend to look like a mixture of golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers," Cuffe said. "They certainly have a retriever's temperament."
(The name "potcake," by the way, comes from the fact that the dogs got to eat whatever was caked on the sides of the pots after their owners dished out their own helpings.)
Before being allowed into Florida, the dogs must get a clean bill of health — and all the necessary shots — from veterinarians in the Bahamas.
The dogs are brought to Florida by various means, primarily charter flights and private boaters.
Gerry and Cheryl Kilpatrick of Hobe Sound have a potcake named Lady.
"She's been a great dog," said Gerry Kilpatrick. "She's wonderful with our 2-year-old son (Ian)."
The Kilpatricks are sure of Lady's heritage. ("Our vet says she's part Saluki with some shepherd and maybe some Labrador retriever," Gerry Kilpatrick said. Cuffe said she's sure there's some long-haired dachshund in the mix.)
"She's a very loving dog, and she loves to play," Gerry Kilpatrick said. "Our vet couldn't find a thing wrong with her; she's a model of health."
Cuffe is looking for help with the potcakes.
"We're looking for people to either to bring dogs or puppies over from the Bahamas," she said, "to be foster homes for them when they first arrive and to be good, loving, permanent homes."
By the way, Cuffe said she doesn't want to step on toes at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, the Palm City-based animal shelter that has dogs and cats available for adoption. In fact, she said Wally Burleson, the society's executive director, has offered her advice.
"I think these dogs will appeal in particular to people who have been to the Abacos and the boating community," Cuffe said. "They make great boat dogs."
For information, call Cuffe at 223-5450.
Tyler Treadway can be reached at 221-4236 or at tyler.treadway@scripps.com via e-mail.
