Our Story
All About Moonlight Shibas
It all began with an Akita named Miko, brought home from Okinawa, Japan. In the late 1990s, Rose discovered the Shiba Inu breed — and her husband Bill gifted her their first, a beautiful girl named Sheba. From that moment, a lifelong passion was ignited.
Rose's first show dog, Kepano — a striking black and tan — achieved both his Championship and Grand Championship in 2015. Then came Indiana, known as "Indy," who rose to rank #2 Shiba Inu in all of North America for five consecutive years, earning BIS, BISS, BISOH, and a Platinum Grand Championship by 2022.
Today, Moonlight Shibas is home to an extraordinary team of dogs on a beautiful property near Pensacola, Florida. Rose and Bill are proud AKC Breeders of Merit at the Silver level.
Our Commitment
Breeding Philosophy
A quality breeder is not defined by what they say. They are defined by what they consistently do — even when no one is watching.
At Moonlight, every pairing begins with a careful evaluation of temperament, health, and structure. If any of those three is lacking, we do not proceed — no matter how beautiful the dog, and no matter how impressive the pedigree.
All breeding dogs are OFA-certified for patellas, eyes, and hips, and parent CHIC documentation is provided to every puppy family. Our long-standing commitment to verified health and ethical breeding is recognized by the AKC Breeder of Merit program at the Silver level.
A Shiba Inu is a 14–16 year commitment. We take that seriously — every family is screened and met in person to ensure our dogs go to the right homes.
OFA Certified
Hips, Patellas & Eyes
CERF Certified
Ophthalmologist Tested
AKC Registered
Every Puppy
Vet Health Letter
With Every Puppy
A Special Thanks
With deep gratitude to Ann Gorman for her mentorship, wisdom, and friendship along this journey.