OC Pom Rescue

Dog adoption can be difficult - especially now with the pandemic - and many shelters, rescues, and stores are appointment only or solely through online transaction. The influx in online activity has made it necessary for responsible dog adoption resources, like rescues and shelters, to adapt and be an accessible resource for adopters. OC Pom Rescue wants adoption to be where adopters go first, and not to stores that get their dogs from puppy mills - Adopt, Don't Shop! We aim to prioritize education and responsible ownership, such as being aware of medical expenses, training, and breed characteristics. We also want to refer adopters to vets, groomers, and dog product suppliers. There are many different brands and small businesses that offer quality foods, treats, harnesses, and more. It is not obvious how large of a profit big companies make from selling dogs and sub-par products, and we want to shed light on those that make quality products for animals that deserve the best!

Our top priority is the wellbeing of our rescue dogs. We have established relationships with a vet and groomer, who work to fully assess, vet, and groom our dogs. They are also very aware that we do not have any medical or behavioral history on our dogs. We have also established relationships with brands to donate necessary items, such as leashes, harnesses, and food. Their safety and health is our number one priority. Our next priority is responsiveness - we want rescue to be an available and accessible resource. Many of our adopters and followers have questions or do not know anything about dog ownership, which is why being responsive is so important. Dog adoption should be easy and educational, which we convey through transparency and clear communication. Social media presence is also vital to communicating and educating our adopters. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are widely used and understood by our adopters, so this also contributes to making rescue an easy, available resource. Instagram and Facebook also make dog adoption more personal. The user can get a sense of each dog's personality and needs by having clear photos and honest captions. Our website is always up to date, and it clearly outlines how adoption works and how one can volunteer or foster. We try to anticipate common questions and answer them on each page for those who want to learn about how rescue works.

OC Pom Rescue has 50+ volunteers that have specific roles, and they also have people above them to hold each other accountable. We use each other's abilities to meet common goals, such as revamping the website, writing grant applications, taking videos, etc. Our volunteer and foster applications are designed to encourage those who find joy in saving dogs and weed out those who want to be awarded participation trophies. All of our volunteers dedicate countless hours to their roles and the dogs that they care for; rescuing dogs is difficult, and it would not be achievable without the hard work of volunteers. Our founders and many of our volunteers have 5+ years of experience working with nonprofits or dog rescue, and so we take from each other's experience and work to make OC Pom the best that it can be. We take questions and communicate through email, our P.O. box, and our social media accounts.

Over the past six months, we have adopted out over 70 dogs and established relationships with brands and shelters all across California and parts of Nevada. Our Yelp and Facebook reviews have grown and continue to praise the same thing - we are so responsive! We have welcomed over 50 volunteers and fosters into our rescue, which is what has made it possible for us to save so many dogs. Our following on Facebook and Instagram is 1,300 and growing every day. The social media director responds to a minimum of 20 messages each day, all day. The founders respond to a minimum of 20 emails each day, regarding questions and reviewing applications. Whenever we get a dog from a shelter, the adoption coordinator emails them an update with photos when they get adopted. It truly takes a village to see and make progress!