Rumi, a Shiba Inu and Jindo mix, was rescued from the overcrowded Jeongeup Municipal Shelter in rural South Korea after a planned adoption fell through and she was placed on the euthanasia list. She is now enjoying a peaceful home with her caregiver and a cat while she waits for a permanent family.
Her foster added one detail from her shelter days that says a great deal about her: in the shelter’s shared large-dog kennel she was so gentle and good-natured that the other dogs picked on her.
Rumi is gentle, affectionate, and quiet — a companion who enjoys relaxing at home, daily walks, and playful time with her person. She is usually calm, but she becomes lively and genuinely enthusiastic the moment a game starts.
She likes being close to her person and will come over to ask for attention or play. Her foster describes her as a balanced dog: quiet and settled day to day, but affectionate and up for fun whenever it is offered.
Sudden movements, loud voices, and barking dogs can startle her. She needs patient guidance as she builds confidence, particularly on walks.
Large dogs: She may startle and move away when a large dog suddenly barks or jumps. She responds to her handler’s guidance and checks herself, and no aggressive barking or lunging has ever been observed.
Small dogs: She may growl if a small dog barks intensely at her, but she has never lunged.
Introductions should be calm and unhurried, with space for her to move away from anything overwhelming. No resource guarding has been observed. She has no resident dog at present and would be content either as an only dog or with a calm, considerate canine housemate.
This is one of Rumi’s real strengths. She lives comfortably with her foster family’s cat and has done so without a single problem — she does not chase the cat, does not persistently follow it, and shows no aggression when it walks past. Occasionally she will sniff at it when they are close by, and that is the extent of her interest.
She has also stayed calm receiving treats alongside the cat, with no attempt to steal or compete. Her foster says a home with cats can be actively recommended for her, with the usual gradual, supervised introduction.
| House trained | Yes, fully — 100% outdoors for both urination and bowel movements in her current home. Continue a consistent outdoor routine through her transition to a new home. |
| Alone time | Roughly 5 to 10 hours without her caregiver, in a home with the resident cat. No separation-anxiety barking, howling, or destruction has been observed. She spends the time calmly and occupies herself with food puzzles. |
| Barking | No nuisance barking and no demand barking have been reported at all. She is a notably quiet dog at home. |
| Destructive behavior | None observed. She would rather work at a food puzzle or do nosework. |
| Car rides | Traveling in her crate she may shift around from motion discomfort, but there has been no significant vomiting, barking, or crying — she mostly lies quietly and occasionally lifts her head to look around. |
| Favorite activities | Feather wand toys above all, and most other wand toys, plus food puzzles and nosework. She is still working out what to do with squeaky toys. Calm by default, animated the moment she is invited to play. |
| Crate training | Partly. She sometimes goes in on her own to rest but does not consistently choose to. She accepts being lifted in without much resistance and stays relatively calm inside. Her foster notes, with some amusement, that when she is sulking she takes herself into the crate and will not come out. |
| Grooming & handling | Cooperative for bathing. Tooth brushing has not been established — she is on dental chews instead. |
| Resting | Usually relaxes or sleeps on bedding on the floor, and sometimes in the crate in the living room. |
Two walks a day, roughly 30 to 60 minutes each, totaling one to two hours — a morning walk and a late evening one in her current routine. She also gets indoor toy play and one-on-one time with her person.
She manages regular walks well and is continuing to build confidence around unfamiliar surroundings and sudden activity. Unexpected barking or jumping from another dog may startle her. She recognizes her name, but reliable recall has not been established, so she should stay leashed outside a securely enclosed area.
Rumi is reported very healthy, with no ongoing concerns and no special care requirements. She is spayed and vaccinated. Her body condition is normal at about 35.3 lbs (16 kg), and no allergies have been reported.
Her last reported parasite prevention was NexGard Spectra on September 24. Veterinarian-approved parasite prevention should continue on the prescribed monthly schedule throughout the year, including winter.
She eats Hill’s Large Breed kibble. She may eat slowly and carefully while she is still adjusting, and plain dry food is less appealing to her, so her foster mixes in canned food. Her favorites are cooked beef — the clear winner — along with turkey chews, chicken breast jerky, and smooth pâté-style wet food.
For gear sizing: neck 38 cm (about 15 in), chest 65 cm (about 25.6 in), back length 67 cm (about 26.4 in).
Rumi suits a calm household in a quieter neighborhood. She is not the dog for a family wanting a highly active companion — she would rather rest comfortably at home most of the day — but she does need a family who will walk her and play with her every day without fail, because she throws herself into both.
Adults, or families with older and respectful children, are preferred: sudden movements, loud voices, and barking dogs startle her. A home with a cat is genuinely a good fit rather than merely a possibility.
What she needs now is a family that will walk with her, play with her, and build an ordinary life together, slowly.
“At the shelter she was so gentle that the other dogs in the big-dog kennel picked on her. She is quiet and calm and full of affection, and she loves her walks and her games — a really well-balanced dog. Through her time here she has shown us the joy of living with people, how to rest easily on her own, and how to live with a cat. I hope she meets a family who will walk with her and play with her and build up their days together, slowly.”
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Rumi is in foster care in South Korea and will travel to the United States with a flight volunteer once she is matched with a suitable family. Every vetted applicant selected to adopt her receives a two-week trial and monitoring period with continued rescue support.
Adoption fee: $650 · Covers spay, core vaccinations, microchip, veterinary exam, health certificate, pre-departure care & transport from South Korea