Why do we ask for a donation when you adopt a rescued Pomeranian?

The adoption donation is used to partially recover the costs involved in rescuing. These costs include but are not limited to, shelter fees, spay/neuter, food, housing, vaccinations, de-worming, microchip, and any vet exams or medical care that the dog may have required. We would not have been able to save the life of the dog you are interested in without the adoption donation from another that came before him/her. 

How to adopt from Southern California Pomeranian Rescue
 

At Southern California Pomeranian Rescue, we believe every rescue dog deserves not just a home, but the right home.

Our adoption process is thoughtful and event-based, allowing us to make careful matches for the dogs in our care. As a small, volunteer-run rescue, we receive a high volume of interest, so we use a structured process to keep placements fair, organized, and centered on each dog’s needs. 

Our Process

Dogs are first introduced through our online and in-person adoption events. If a dog is not adopted through an event, they may later be posted on our website. Adoption opportunities and event announcements are also shared on our social media pages, and we encourage applicants to follow us at @socalpomrescue. 

To Be Considered

To begin the matching process, interested adopters are invited to email us a brief questionnaire at SoCalPomRescue@coapc.com.

Please use the subject line:
Adoption Questionnaire – Your Name

Please include the following:

1. Are you looking for a dog as a pet, or as a companion for another dog? 
2. Do you prefer a male or female? 
3. Do you currently have any other pets? If so, please tell us a little about them. 
4. What city do you live in? 
5. Do you rent or own your home? 
6. Is someone usually home during the day? 
7. What age, size, and temperament are you hoping for in a dog? 

This information helps us place applicants on our waitlist and consider them as dogs become available. 

A Few Important Notes

Applications are reviewed in the order received. Because we receive significantly more interest than available dogs, we may not be able to contact every applicant. Submission of a questionnaire does not guarantee adoption, and placements are made based on overall fit, temperament, and the needs of the individual dog.

To keep our process manageable and focused, we are not able to respond to open-ended inquiries or provide ongoing status updates. 

Stay Connected

Please follow our social media pages for adoption event announcements and updates on available dogs.

Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and your interest in rescue.

Not all rescue happens in homes. Some of it begins in the fields.

Bakersfield Strays is a field-based initiative addressing the growing crisis of abandoned dogs in the rural orchards and dumping areas of Kern County.

These dogs are not lost.
They were left.

We operate differently.

We are not a shelter.
We are not a traditional intake rescue.

We are a boots-on-the-ground system built to respond where others cannot.

• Provide consistent feeding and water routes across remote areas 
• Monitor and document stray populations 
• Stabilize urgent cases (injury, illness, nursing mothers, vulnerable puppies) 
• Coordinate transport and placement through trusted rescue partners 
• Support spay/neuter efforts to prevent future suffering 

Because before a dog can be adopted…
they have to survive.

• 630+ dogs removed from abandonment and brought into safety 
• 179 spay/neuter vouchers provided 
• 5,000+ pounds of food distributed monthly 
• Hundreds of miles covered each month across rural dumping corridors 

This work is ongoing.
And the need is constant.

Bakersfield Strays operates through a collaborative model:

• Southern California Pomeranian Rescue — administration, fundraising, and placement coordination 
• START Rescue — fiscal nonprofit partner and rescue support 
• Friends of Abandoned Dogs — boots-on-the-ground field operations 

Together, we form a system designed to address both immediate suffering and long-term prevention.

Without intervention, these dogs face:

• extreme heat and environmental exposure 
• starvation and dehydration 
• injury, illness, and neglect 
• repeated breeding and generational suffering 

We step in before it’s too late.

We bridge the gap between abandonment and adoption.

From Stray → Safe → Placement

This is where rescue begins.