Meet Ping: The Rescue Pomeranian Who Found Her Forever Home in New Smyrna Beach

June has already brought some exciting changes to our house and honestly, I am so ready for this season of life. After months of renovations, projects, dust and living in what felt like a never-ending construction zone, we are finally done. Hooray. Our home finally feels like home again and somehow right on cue, our family grew a little too.

Meet Ping.

Ping is our almost 3-year-old Pomeranian pup who we adopted through Sophie’s Circle, a local organization that started as a pet food pantry and has grown into something much bigger by rescuing and rehoming dogs. Ping was technically a rehome and her original name was Ping Pong which, while adorable, felt like a bit of a mouthful. So naturally, we shortened it to Ping and honestly, it fits her perfectly. She is energetic, sweet, full of life and instantly became my little shadow.

Why We Chose to Adopt a Rescue Dog Locally

When we decided we were finally ready to add another dog into our lives, we knew a few things right away. We wanted to adopt locally. We wanted a younger dog and we wanted something smaller that would fit well into our home and lifestyle. A smaller dog also makes traveling easier which definitely matters for our family.

Local Animal Rescues Making a Difference in Volusia County

There are a handful of local rescue organizations I constantly follow on social media and support because they do incredible work connecting animals with forever homes. I kept a close eye on (AKA, cyber stalked) Edgewater Animal Shelter, Florida Pointer Rescue, Sophie’s Circle and Halifax Humane Society. These organizations are active in our community every single day and if you are looking to adopt, foster, volunteer or donate, they absolutely deserve your support.

Edgewater Animal Shelter is where we adopted our cats, Cheese Wiz and Chino, who are brother and sister from the same litter and complete royalty in our house. Truly celebrities.

Florida Pointer Rescue also hosts adoption events every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pet Supermarket on State Road 44 in the Publix shopping plaza which is such a great opportunity for families looking to meet adoptable dogs in person.

The Night We Found Ping

Late one night while scrolling in bed, I came across the cutest photos I had ever seen. A tiny white Pomeranian named Ping Pong had just been posted by Sophie’s Circle. I immediately checked the comments and nobody had shown interest yet. I already had adoption applications submitted at several organizations because Bailey and I had been looking for a while. We even met a few dogs but nothing felt quite right for our family.

The second I saw Ping, I knew. I commented immediately. Then sent a Facebook message. Then emailed. Then followed up again the next morning trying very hard not to text too early. Needless to say, I was first in line pending the application process.

A Dream Come True for Bailey

The best part of this whole story is that Bailey has wanted a Pomeranian since second grade. Every birthday, every Christmas and every gift idea somehow involved a Pomeranian. She had the stuffed animals, the pajama pants and now finally, she has her very own fluffy little best friend.

And trust me, Ping was worth the wait.