About Potcake EARS

The Potcake Evaluation And Research Study, or Potcake EARS, was the first study of potcake behavior as pets. It provides current and future potcake owners with more understanding of their pets, and also contributes to the scientific knowledge of this particular breed of stray dog.

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Potcakes stem from a gene pool that was mostly isolated for hundreds of years on the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos. Potcakes got their name from the mixture of food that people would scrape off the bottom of their pots to feed the stray dogs. Potcakes vary in appearance, but commonly have cocked ears, and have become symbolic of the Bahamas where they have been recognized as an official breed and their images appear on stamps and souvenirs. Potcakes have also become popular pets in the United States and Canada, with nonprofit organizations rescuing them, spaying and neutering them, and bringing them over for adoption.

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Veronica Sondervan started Potcake EARS in 2011 at age 14, after she had spent years volunteering with Royal Potcake Rescue in Atlanta, GA. The study won her the top "Emerging Scientist" award at her high school, plus garnered county and state awards, and has been featured in Abaco Life magazine and The Abaconian newspaper. The behavioral study continued until Summer of 2015, with more than 500 potcakes participating overall.