Meet Karley List | OC Pom Director of Marketing

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karley List and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karley, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
OC Pom Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dog rescue based in Southern California. The rescue immediately helps their surrounding community with volunteer opportunities to serve animals suffering from various forms of neglect, abuse, and homelessness. Volunteering presents numerous opportunities for community-building, networking, and pursuing passion for helping others! Through our network of volunteers, OC Pom Rescue provides warm, loving homes and extensive medical care to each rescue dog and uses a multi-step application process to match dogs with their forever homes. OC Pom Rescue’s primary focus is rehabilitating dogs and educating the public on the responsibilities of dog ownership and the Pomeranian breed through OC Pom Rescue’s social media presence and active involvement in the community.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I originally started helping with rescue pups as a social media coordinator back in 2020 when OC Pom Rescue started. I drove to fosters’ homes, captured photos, and wrote up bios for potential adopters to learn more about their prospective pet. As OC Pom Rescue grew, my role began to change and expand: they needed a website and blog, so that was my next project! Creating all of this was definitely eye-opening, because rescue dogs were being put on display in a different way than what I was used to. Dogs were bought at stores, right? That was what I had thought growing up, so as a team, we wanted to change that conception on dog adoption and be a resource for both experienced and new dog owners.

OC Pom Rescue’s intention was to use the talents of passionate individuals. Sure, experienced dog rescuers know the lay of the land and how to adopt dogs out. However, it comes to a point where someone is in the community for so long that they don’t quite understand the perspective of those who just want to get started helping dogs, who just want to adopt a dog, or who are trying to learn more. It is easy to have an idea of who the “ideal” home is for dogs in general and only use those people to foster or volunteer with. But that doesn’t match the unique, reliable people that make up a community. And if you cannot identify with your community, how can you help others adopt or learn more about the growing need for support for homeless animals?

That is why I think it is so important that advocate groups welcome ideas and change. Isn’t the point of rescuing animals that we change how people view animal ownership and make rescue resources accessible? To do that, you need skilled, passionate individuals who have ideas on how to make resources available. This is the sort of community we wanted to push others to be like so that dog adoption and volunteering was attainable for all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I were to recommend a weekend trio to San Diego with friends, I would recommend the following dog-friendly activities.

Day One: Visit Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve: Spend the morning hiking the beautiful trails at Torrey Pines and taking in the stunning ocean views. Picnic at Torrey Pines Beach after hiking. This is a great way to take in the sun and enjoy the beach with the beautiful cliffs as a backdrop. Later in the day, we might visit Little Italy Mercato to explore the open-air market. We might finish the night out with a home cooked meal or at Herb & Wood.

The next day we might visit La Jolla Cove for a morning picnic with our furry friends to enjoy the stunning ocean views and take a stroll along the beach. After spending the morning at La Jolla Cove, head to George’s at the Cove for a delicious lunch with ocean views. To keep the ocean theme going, we would head to the Birch Aquarium to see a variety of marine life, including sharks, sea turtles, and jellyfish.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out Snehal Chitalia for her determined positivity and ability to work through challenges. She has been my right hand man in creating new positions in the rescue and has a great love for people and animals.

Website: https://www.ocpomrescue.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocpomrescue/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ocpomrescue?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theocpomrescue/

Image Credits
Karley L. and Snehal Chitalia