Compassion Without Borders for International Potcake Day

Boca wishes you a Happy International Potcake Day!

Before fostering and subsequently adopting Boca, I had never heard of a potcake. Since getting to know her and staying connected with the shelter that saved her, I have become a huge fan of these island mutts from The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos. I sponsor a sweet girl that reminds me of my dog, Lasya, with a monthly donation. Through forming a local potcake meetup group I've gotten to meet many others that came from the same shelter and as special as Boca is, I've found that her easygoing, charming personality is not unique. When our potcakes are together at the dog park, they seem to form their own cool club of chill dogs. Boca endears people everywhere she goes, from her obedience class teacher to her ophthalmologist. She is an awesome ambassador and today we are celebrating all of her friends, family and distant cousins in loving homes and spreading the word about those in great need of help.
 

Jorden - Boca lookalike hoping for a home of her own. (Photo courtesy of HSGB)

 
In the past few days I've become aware of an urgent need for adoptive and foster homes as The Humane Society of Grand Bahama desperately tries to keep their head above water as the only animal welfare organization on an island overrun with stray, neglected dogs. Every year they take in close to 1,400 dogs with a local adoption rate of less than 10%. The only hope for most of these dogs is rescue sponsorship, foster homes and adoption outside of The Bahamas and so they are hoping to find placement for at least 50 dogs by the end of the month. International rescue draws some criticism as people question why dogs would be brought in from another country when there are dogs in our own cities or states that need homes. Having been in involved in rescue and adoption for many years, I've fostered dogs found on my own block, transported dogs from neighboring Nebraska, adopted Colorado dogs, an Arkansas dog and a Bahamas dog. Here in metro Denver we are not accustomed to seeing stray populations living on the street, but this is the reality for potcakes and other indigenous street dogs around the world. Boca was starving and trying to survive with her puppies in a den she made outside of Freeport when HSGB rescued her. Her story and her sweet soul have touched my heart, and this shelter has gained my loyal support for all the animals they take in to its yellow stucco walls, all the dogs they feed and house and love for years as they wait for homes of their own. I believe in compassion without geography, and I am committed to being an advocate for these deserving dogs.

Nancy - coming to Colorado to be fostered by my dear friend! (Photo courtesy of HSGB)

As pictures were posted of dogs that local rescue organization Outpaws hoped to bring to Colorado this weekend, I shared them on Facebook and implored friends to consider fostering. One of my best friends gave in to my hounding agreed to and applied to foster a senior girl, Nancy, who has been living at HSGB for six years. She and Boca would have no doubt known each other there, maybe napped together in the sun. Nancy’s gentle hound-dog face struck a chord with my friend – and even if you’ve never fostered before, or don’t think you have room or that you’d be able to give them up, that’s sometimes all it takes - a connection made with a face a world away – and why I will continue to share rescue dogs on social media. I started to wonder about the possibility of fostering myself (for real, with no possibility of "failing" this time, because two dogs are just right, thank you very much). I talked to my dad last night, since he is the one home during the day with the dogs, and he was on board. It looks like Keemo - a smaller young boy - is going to be a good fit for us - a foster ginger bro! I'm so excited to meet him, we are just finalizing the transport details and foster application. Every foster home that opens its doors to a potcake is making it possible for HSGB to continue its tireless work on the island. I can't think of a better way to celebrate International Potcake Day than saying yes to saving a life.

Keemo - coming to Colorado to stay with The Ginger Sisters for a while. (Photo courtesy of HSGB)

 
How can you help?
 
Donate to The Kohn Foundation, a Colorado 501c3 organization dedicated to raising funds for HSGB.

Foster a potcake! Contact Tip Burrows at The Humane Society of Grand Bahama to find out if there is a partnering rescue organization in your area. Colorado residents can apply to foster through Outpaws.

Vote for HSGB to win 500 lbs of dogfood! HSGB is entered into Open Farm’s Feed A Rescue giveaway with a chance to win a whole lot of food for hungry potcakes. Please vote and share daily!

Spread the word by sharing this post. If you are a proud potcake parent, help us celebrate today by sharing photos on social media with the hashtag #InternationalPotcakeDay.

Reasons We Love Rotation Feeding with Open Farm Dog Food

This post is sponsored by Open Farm. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Open Farm's ethically produced pet food, but Rubicon Days only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Open Farm is not responsible for the content of this article.  

Living Alone is Never Lonely with Dogs

I can't imagine two faces I would rather wake up to every morning.

I've lived alone in Denver for close to ten years now, with my dad staying with me off and on for the past few years. A friend said recently that she had never lived alone, and didn't know if she could. I'm an introvert who relishes solitude and independence, but without animal companionship I'm positive I would not enjoy it to the extent that I do. As much as I admire and aspire to the idea of a life-affirming wilderness trek like Cheryl Strayed in Wild, if I didn't have a dog along the journey would be missing something crucial.

More recently, with the addition of first Ruby and then Boca, I've become even more of a homebody as I leveled up in the dog crazy echelons. While I love brunches with friends and visits to the museum, the truth is that the place I'd most often rather be is home with my dogs. I just can't seem to get enough of watching them interact with each other, refining my own communication with them, and the simple reassurance of their physical presence. We enjoy each other without expectation, without a common spoken language.

We love spending time outside together.

Ruby is approaching 3 years old and has become such a sweet and happy girl. She is so affectionate and the quiet moments of the early morning when she is still sleepy and snuggly are one of my favorite parts of the day. She usually sleeps curled up near my pillow, while Boca sleeps at my feet. When Ruby wakes up she stretches herself across my chest, kisses my face and waits for her ear scratches, then will sometimes roll over cradled in the nook of my arm for belly rubs.  

A blissful Boca in a room of her own.

Boca remains the easiest dog in the universe. She is happiest laying around in various states of sprawl. In the sun on the patio, in her crate (the only time I ask her to go in it is when they get tendons, fish skins or marrow bones but she will open the door herself and sleep there every evening between about 8 and 10 when we go to bed), on the loveseat, sofa or bed. This morning she was curled up cozily on top of two pillows - a potcake princess and the pea. I've started playing tug with her regularly (Ruby plays tug almost every night) - she is a much more challenging opponent than Ruby and is still working on her manners, but she learned very quickly not to lunge and re-grip when she drops it, but rather to sit and wait for me to give the tug back. This nightly ritual of play with both girls has become very dear to me.

Patio sentries and formidable fly hunters.

I was thinking about how the personalities of Ruby and Boca compare and contrast both to one another, and to my previous pair of dogs, Lasya and Freya. Freya was fearful and slightly neurotic, clingy and affectionate. I felt she needed my protection. Lasya was perhaps the doggiest dog I've ever known - very in touch with her huntress side, calm and wise with no use for rules or regret. I felt protected by her.

In a similar way I have that balance with Ruby and Boca. Ruby is intense and hypervigilant, requiring my help to navigate an overwhelming world and channel all that energy. She is also probably the smartest dog I've ever known, and the smallest dog I've ever had (with the exception of my foster Chihuahua, Vlad). I feel fiercely and devotedly protective of her. Boca is unassuming, optimistic, humorous and determinedly relaxed, but I get a sense of profound loyalty from her as well. I feel safe with her. However the three of us negotiate our different roles, what's always is true is that we aren't alone. We are home, we are together, we are loved.