On This Tropical Island, You can Cuddle With Puppies All Day on the Beach for Free

Thrillist Video

Imagine you're lounging on an idyllic white sand beach in the Caribbean, wading through the turquoise water, sipping a rum and coke as you work on perfecting your tan. Now, add an adorable puppy to the mix, and you've got an idea of what it might be like to visit Providenciales in Turks & Caicos. That's because, if you play your cards right, you can have day-long hangouts with up-for-adoption puppies on the beach while on vacation there. 

It's cool, we'll wait while you frantically search for flights. 

Here's the deal: Potcake Place, a dog rescue charity based in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, runs what is essentially a shelter for stray island puppies and has a program where you can volunteer to help socialize the dogs by scooping one up for the day. The homeless potcake pups (potcakes are a mixed-breed native to several Caribbean islands) are all also up for adoption, should you decide that you'd like to extend your daylong adventure into more of a lifelong thing.

To get up close and personal with a new furry friend for the day, stop by the shelter to meet the pups, and inquire about a beach trip. They'll likely be able to arrange for you to take one down to walk the beach. They typically have an average of 50 dogs in foster care at any given time, and they could all use some extra attention. 

If you're serious about adopting, the folks at Potcake Place will help arrange it. You should be ready for some questions, though, since they do background checks on all new potential puppy parents. Once you're cleared, they'll set up an appointment with a vet, and get you squared away to bring it home. Adoptions are technically free of charge, though they are a non-profit after all, so donations are encouraged. 

If you're not ready to adopt, but still want to help contribute to the cause (beyond cuddling doggos for an afternoon), they are also frequently in need of "couriers" to shepherd pups on planes to their forever homes outside Turks & Caicos -- a good deed and a great way to make hordes of new friends at the airport. 

h/tTasting Table

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him @jwmcgauley.