As many of you know, Drake was rescued from the animal shelter in Tortola, BVI. He had been in a cage over there for almost a year before I caught his eye. Somewhat malnourished and a bad case of heartworms were the first obstacles we had to overcome. Within just a couple months he had totally regained his health. He has some hunting dog blood in him and as a result, he brought with him the irresistible urge to chase the wild chickens that cover the island. I have not yet cured him of that habit. Now, over 3 years later, he is THE celebrity of Virgin Gorda. (My job is to drive him around like a chauffeur.) Drake is so well known that he is on everyone’s “present list.” This is just a short list of the gifts that come his way. The stuffed lobster toy seen in the picture above; his collar courtesy of PAWS BVI; the bandana courtesy of an unnamed boat; two gigantic tomahawk steak bones packed in clear wrap, stuffed in luggage and brought all the way from Montana; a super comfy dog bed compliments of a boat from Michigan. (Drake sleeps in our king bed and some nights I sleep in his dog bed because he has somehow taken over the entire king-sized bed.) And then there are daily gifts which range from cheese, to turkey, to ham, to chips, to burgers, grilled chicken and even pieces of steak. And of course, there was the most unusual of all which were copious slices of $38 per pound salami. If only Alastair and I ate so well. Does Drake show his gratitude? You bet. He dishes out kisses, poses for hundreds of pictures a day, and just helps fill that empty heart for all the guests that miss their furry friends. He just recently created his own recipe for his named spiced rum. Sometimes he will hop on your boat but watch him carefully if he does. If he spots the galley, he develops selective hearing and can’t seem to hear me when I angrily call for him. When he does return to me, he has been known to scarf a piece of a sandwich off the lunch table.
So, what a journey this guy has come from. Living in a cage to sleeping on a king-sized bed to having custom dinners cooked for him every night and the life of a celebrity during the day. As I have told so many people, when I die, I want to come back as Drake. I wish all of us could be so lucky and happy. BTW, if you would like to read a more detailed version of Drake’s daily life, get a copy of my book, “Latitude 19, the Ramblings of The Rum Runner.”