The Black Dogs of Galveston Island

"Campeche Devil Dogs"

An unidentified animal found dead in Galveston Island September 1st, 2008, it is believed to be one of the Campeche Beast. A pack of large black dogs that are said to date back to the time of Jean Lafitte the pirate. Residents of the small Island have been hearing “chilling animal cries” since 1891, with sightings of an animal with glowing red eyes that apparently mated with a doberman and a rottweiler before it died.

By Leslie Danielle Ferrymen

Artwork Ricardo Pustanio

A pack of supernatural black dogs is said to roam the hurricane swept Island since the Great Storm of 1900 or possibly earlier. Legend has it that twelve black puppies were adopted by a downtown business owner when their mongrel (Coyote or prairie wolf, small, swift wolf, Canis latrans, native to W North America), mother was killed. For over a century, inhabitants of West Galveston Island have told tales of these large black hellhounds with malevolent flaming eyes (or in some variants of the legend a single eye) that are red or alternatively yellow. They vary in size and stature from that of simply a large dog to being the size of a small horse.

But the Black Pack also are known to be benevolent at times and bring warnings of disasters. Many say they saw them in the days before the great storm of 1900. These dog like chupacabra like creatures are said to be so evil that that they only listen to the commands of the Devil himself. Some stories state that death comes quick if you see a Black Dog in Texas.And death will fall days, months, or years after viewing the demonic beasts. Others say that death may not follow at all, but something "bad" will happen to someone close to those who set eyes on the twelve ghost hounds.

The Black Dog of nearby Clear Lake, TX does not take the guise of a large, fearsome hound. Instead, it appears as a small, sad black dog. The Black Dog of San Leon leaves droppings with human fingers poking out of it . It also appears to enjoy human company, sometimes and has been known to protect lost children rom great danger. Seeing the small Black Dog of San Leon once is supposedly a sign of good luck to come, twice brings a life of long suffering bad luck And you will not have heirs. And in your cursed life you see him a third time it means instant death.

Galveston Bay is a Whole Other Haunted World!

The paranormal is very normal in this haunted Texas town. With many haunted landmarks Pier 21, Stewart Beach, Seawall Boulevard, The Strand, and Hotel Galvez. And the strange pack of twelve large dogs howling and growling have been seen and heard from September 1st to the 13th by many residence.

Hurricane Ike: GALVESTON, Texas (Sept. 13) - Howling ashore with 110 mph winds, Hurricane Ike ravaged the Texas coast Saturday, flooding thousands of homes and businesses, shattering windows in Houston's skyscrapers and knocking out power to millions of people. Many said that they saw the pack of twelve large black Dogs running along the seawall and congregating in front of the Bamboo Lounge late at night for a week before the storm. Many locals on the Haunted Texas Island believe these the dirty dozen from hell to be a real sign that doom is near.

Some tell the story that the twelve black dogs were part of a pack of vicious dogs that were owned by the Pirate King Jean Laffite. They were bred for hunting down unsuspecting thieves, travelers and interlopers. Lastly, some stories tell that evil Pirate King claimed the hounds to have brought home to him each night multiple heads hands and human penises. These of the people who tried to steal his treasure his belongings or his woman.

"Campeche Devil Dogs"

This pack from hell is said to have been born in the eye of a hurricane during Laffite's time on the Island. The beast only responded to his commands alone. The Voodoo Queen that did the ritual is said to have died as the las evil pup was born. Thus infusing her eternal black dark powers into the original twelve that were born. Cross bred from a large spanish or European black wolf and evil bitch dog that Lafitte owned personally.

Jean Lafitte (ca. 1776 - ca. 1826) was a privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He often spelled his name Jean Laffite. Lafitte is believed to have been born either in France or the French colony of Saint-Domingue. By 1805 he operated a warehouse in New Orleans to help disperse the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre Lafitte. After the United States government passed the Embargo Act of 1807 the Lafitte's moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay. By 1810, their new port was very successful.

The Pirate King is said to have been by some involved with the powerful forces of black magic and Voodoo Hoodoo practices. After being run out of New Orleans around 1817, Lafitte relocated to the island of Galveston, Texas establishing another "kingdom" he named "Campeche". In Galveston, Lafitte either purchased or set his claim to a lavishly furnished mansion used by French pirate Louis-Michel Aury, which he named "Maison Rouge". The building's upper level was converted into a fortress where a cannon commanding Galveston harbor was placed. Around 1820, Lafitte reportedly married Madeline Regaud, possibly the widow or daughter of a French colonist who had died during an ill-fated expedition to Galveston. In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf after one of the pirate's captains attacked an American merchant ship. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and in 1821 or 1822 departed on his flagship, the Pride, burning his fortress and settlements and reportedly taking immense amounts of treasure with him. All that remains of Maison Rouge is the foundation, located at 1417 Avenue A near the Galveston wharf. When Laffite left Galveston Island in 1820 he made Jao de la Porta, a Jewish Texan merchant, a full-time trader.

While the Lafitte and his brother Pierre were engaged in running the Galveston operation with considerably the slave smuggling trade and many of these slaves practiced black occult science of voodoo hoodoo.But Lafitte kept the most powerful of those that did voodoo to help him get even more then any other mortal man. From the spells and hexes it is said that Lafitte demanded that a voodoo queen give him an army of dogs to guard his Island retreat. Lafitte's lost treasure has acquired a lore of its own as it, like his death, was never accounted for. He reportedly maintained several stashes of plundered gold and jewelry in the vast system of marshes, swamps, and bayous located around Barrataria Bay. One such legend places the treasure somewhere on the property of Destrehan Plantation, and Lafitte's spirit walks the plantation on nights of full moons to guide someone to the treasure's location. Other rumors suggest that Lafitte's treasure sank with his ship, the Pride, either near Galveston or in the Gulf of Mexico where some believe it went down during an 1826 hurricane. In the area of Galveston, it is commonly said that Lafitte buried his treasure on Galveston Island. and in each location a large black devil dog from his pack large pack of 500 dogs and 1200 bitches is said to guard it. When Lafitte left the island he left only twelve of the largest and meanest of his supernatural black dogs.

In early 1821, the U.S. Navy ran Lafitte out of Galveston, according to French Quarter: An Informal History of the New Orleans Underworld. While leaving, Lafitte burned his compound. Thus, despite the great heights to which Lafitte rose, began his decline. He left with three vessels, but two of them deserted him a few days later when he refused to attack a convoy of Spanish merchantmen. From that point on, Lafitte's power and influence reached a low ebb, and he became a petty pirate and thief. He established a base on Mujeres Island (Isla Mujeres) off the coast of Yucatán, but it was just a small collection of squalid huts. This is where he is said to have brought the leader of the black pack and it is said to haunt the island to this very day.

Herbert Asbury recounts his death in The French Quarter: An Informal History of the New Orleans Underworld. In 1826, Lafitte entered the little Indian village of Teljas, on the mainland, and died of fever after a few days' illness in a native hut.

In Galveston many say beside him were the new new litter of evil spawned pups. Black as night with yellow glowing eyes of hell.

Shape Shifting Shadows

The Dogs are said to possess magical supernatural powers that defy explanation. If your on Galveston Island be aware of the shadows day and night. For you might be followed by the dogs of Campeche where ever you go.

The dogs are more then able to become just shadows and are said to follow anyone that might have strange or covert intentions. Many locals will tell you they will closely follow any stranger on the Island until they leave. low growls are often heard when one is near and the smell of wet dog is experienced.

The black dogs are known to breath heavily on the necks of those that have no good on their minds. One recent tale tells of a tourist that said she was chased back to her hotel by a large black beast. but she tells that she thinks the Campeche Ghost Dog was just trying to get her out of harms way. These Supernatural dogs are said to try to protect the innocent and the intended victims of unscrupulous people also.

Lafitte respected children and woman and the feeble minded. It is said that he commanded his dogs not to harm those that could not protect themselves.

His Black Hellhound Devil Dogs are also said to haunt New Orleans , Barataria and anywhere Lafitte set foot in his lifetime. Some say the shadows of these dogs can be seen in the waves that crash ashore along thee gulf of Mexico.

Mujeres Island (Isla Mujeres) near Cancun. Isla Mujeres is the name of a small island, as well as the town on that island, a short distance off the coast of the northeast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea. Isla Mujeres is also one of the eight municipalities of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is about 13 km northeast of Cancún, at 21.20° North, 86.72° West. The island is some 7 km long and 650 meters wide. In the 2005 census the municipality had a population of 13,315, and the town had a population of 11,147. The municipality, which lies mostly on the mainland in the northeastern corner of the state, has an area of 1,100 km² (424.7 sq mi).

Transportation on Isla Mujeres consists primarily of taxis or golf carts and moped scooters. As of 2005 there were 121 taxis, 500 golf carts, and 1500 moped scooters.

In Pre-Columbian times the island was sacred to the Mayan moon goddess, Ix Chel. When the Spanish arrived here in the 16th century they named it "Isla Mujeres" meaning "Island of Women" because of the many cult images of the moon goddess here.

There was a small Mayan temple on the south tip of the island, however in 1988 Hurricane Gilbert caused extensive damage to it, leaving most of the foundation and a very small portion of the temple. And near it is the ruins of Lafittes home and where several Black dogs and thie ghost shadows are said to prowl and guard.

Also see: The Real Haunted Hag Of Galveston, Texas. A Truth... Or A Real Urban Legend?

About Leslie Danielle Ferrymen

Ferryman is a Paranormal Investigator from Franklin, Tennessee. She heads up The Franklin Ghost and Paranormal Investigation Team. Ferryman is very active in pursuing real Urban Legends and finding out what truth lies hidden in the stories told.

Her 15 member group has investigated many haunted locations all over the United States since it's founding in 2006.

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