I am the owner/designer for Stephanie Quinlan Designs which is a unique handcrafted line of jewelry. Prior to starting my own business, I worked in the finance industry and worked long days. The best part of my day was always coming home to the happy faces, wagging tails, jumping and the Pommy twirling.
Now I am able to have my poms with me most of the time, who we all love and are very grateful for. I also began an organization with a girlfriend called “Releash Atlanta“. We offer a free service that concentrates on matching rescue/shelter dogs with potential adoptive homes.
Many of the jewelry pieces that I make, a percentage is donated toward multiple animal rescue organizations. One of my goals in life is to show people that you CAN find AMAZING pets, many pure bred, in shelters and encourage them to adopt, not shop.
My first experience with a Pomeranian was about 14 years ago… I babysat for a friend and fell in love! I have had pets my entire life but had never seen a Pom. I live in a small space so finding a dog this size was perfect! My first fur baby I found in a newspaper ad… and thought I’d take the leap into Pommy Motherhood. He was the perfect first Pomeranian and made me fall more in love with the breed. When he was about 10 years old his kidney’s started to fail and his health went down hill very fast… he wound up eventually dying from Renal Failure.
A couple years into having my first fur baby, I met a family that was unable to care for Stewart. I thought… oh this will only be temporary and I’ll foster him until I find a forever home for him. Yea… that didn’t work out as I had planned because Stewart had other ideas, like making our home his forever home. So my first attempt at fostering failed miserably.
After that, I was smitten with the breed. When my first pom died, my Stewart was so depressed. He would not eat or play. He missed his little buddy. I was still heartbroken and totally convinced I could not handle another pet loss… so I began to foster… or so I thought.
Whenever rescuers found a Pom, they called me (yes I am a sucker for a pretty Pom). Bear, who has seizures and congestive heart failure was found through a rescue and Bella came to us with post traumatic stress, horribly malnourished, mats, worms from a shelter. These two came to me as foster “fur kids” but I was doomed to be another foster failure. Immediately upon meeting them they tugged at my heart strings and showed their big beautiful sweet personalities, which are uniquely their own. The remind me so much of little, big, Teddy Bears.
Bear is the actor/comedian in the family, he does this thing we call “creeping”… no, he doesn’t “hit” on chicks in bars… he plays ball like it’s his job and he will do it all day if you are willing! He brings the ball to me and turns around and moves in slow motion. He goes a few feet then whips his head around with a crazy look in his eyes like, come on already, throw it!!!
He is extremely animated and performs for anyone who will watch… I think he is waiting for the Academy of Arts and Sciences to give him an Academy Award.
I love all animals and will eventually adopt a larger breed as well but I will always, always have Poms. I am THAT girl. A Pommy Mommy for life!!