A 3-month-old Korean Jindo mix puppy is the first of 14 dogs at the Marin Humane Society in Novato to be adopted after being rescued from a dog meat farm in South Korea.

“Kelly” went home Thursday with her new family, who came all the way from Concord to adopt her. Proud new pet parent Jackie Stevens said she’s thrilled to be selected to take care of the puppy.

“I’m so blessed to have this little one and she’s so sweet. She’s going to have an awesome home and I will give her the best life she could every have outside of Korea,” Stevens said.

Kelly and the 13 other dogs are part of a group of 57 canines rescued from certain death last month by Humane Society International. All were recovered from a dog meat farmer trying to leave the trade, and flown from Seoul, South Korea to the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The dogs, including beagles, poodles, Korean Jindos and Tosas, were doled out to the Marin Humane Society, San Francisco SPCA, East Bay SPCA and Sacramento SPCA on March 20.

‘That’s your dog’

Stevens said she first learned about the Korean dogs from her husband’s caregiver, who saw a televised news story about the animals. Having put her beloved 16-year-old Jindo to sleep in February, she was on the lookout for a new cuddly companion.

“I immediately went online and started learning about them. I knew my best chance to get one was in Marin because they took applications and I couldn’t go stand in line,” Stevens said.

After submitting an application and cover letter, the excruciating process of waiting began. But on Wednesday night, Stevens got the phone call she had been hoping for.

Caregiver Deanne Salsman, of Fairfield, said Stevens was so excited to see the Marin Humane Society’s number pop up on her caller ID.

“She was shaking and I thought ‘don’t cry Jackie, don’t cry,'” Salsman said.

Salsman, who will be helping care for the puppy, has spent the past four years taking care of Stevens’ husband, who has a rare genetic disorder known as Vanishing White Matter Disease. The disease, which affects the central nervous system, has left him bedridden and terminally ill.

Stevens, a tax preparer, asked for Thursday off from work — a tough request with the April 15 tax deadline just around the corner. Luckily she and Salsman were able to make the trip to Marin, where they met a couple of dogs the shelter thought might make a good match.

Adorable puppy Kelly immediately caught Stevens’ eye.

“When she saw her, I said ‘that’s your dog,'” Salsman said.

Now it’s up to Stevens to begin puppy training, teaching Kelly — whose name may or may not be changed once she gets home — to use the dog door, walk on a leash and enjoy her new life.

‘Leaps and bounds’

Bunny Lane, an administrative coordinator of behavior and training at the Marin Humane Society, said she helped foster Kelly by working with her at her desk. She said the little puppy has come a long way.

“She was a screaming meanie the first day and now she’s a love bug,” Lane said. “She knows how to settle down and relax now. She’s just come leaps and bounds.”

Lisa Bloch, spokeswoman for the Marin Humane Society, said all of the Korean dogs have made vast improvements, slowly learning to trust humans. It’s possible more dogs could be adopted out in the next couple of days.

“We’ve been taking our time with the dogs to make sure they’re as socialized as possible,” Bloch said. “We’re working on things like house training and walking on a leash.”

She said the shy dogs need special attention and aren’t the right fit for every home. Applications for the dogs are still being accepted. For more information, potential adopters can call a special hotline created for the Korean dogs at 415-506-6265.

Bloch said she’s pleased to see the dogs, who were extremely frightened when they arrived, starting to come out of their shells.

“Seeing they can be rehabilitated is really amazing,” she said.

Follow Megan Hansen’s blog at http://blogs.marinij.com/bureaucratsandbaking. —— (c)2015 The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.) Visit The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.) at www.marinij.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC AMX-2015-04-03T00:01:00-04:00