Our club is committed to rescuing, fostering, and placing purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that are found in shelters, that are lost or abandoned, or that are no longer capable of being cared for by their owners. We seek to provide a safe harbor for Cavaliers who otherwise might be euthanized or mistreated.
We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a member of the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue Trust. All donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
What do we do for the dogs in our care?
All dogs accepted into our rescue program must first undergo the following evaluations before they will be offered for rehoming:
Only after all of these tasks have been completed will we begin the matchmaking process to find a forever home for a dog. Foster families care for all dogs until they are successfully placed in permanent homes. If you are interested in fostering a rescue Cavalier, please see "How Can I Help?" below.
- Complete physical exam
- Vaccinations (as necessary)
- Heartworm check and start/continue heartworm preventative medication
- Start/continue flea and tick preventative
- Spaying/neutering (as necessary)
- Dental exam and teeth cleaning (as necessary)
- Housetraining assessment
- Basic manners/obedience assessment
- Assessment for socialization with people and other animals
- Start/continue crate and leash training
- Microchipping
Who is available for adoption?
We are fortunate in the Houston area to usually have far more applicants interested in adopting a rescue Cavalier than dogs needing homes. Each dog will have its own unique circumstances, and our goal is to find the right forever family for the dog.
Most of the dogs we receive in our program are adults (ages 3-7) or seniors (8+). If you have your heart set on a puppy or young dog, adopting a rescue Cavalier may not be the right choice for you. We suggest you contact one of the breeders listed on our club website if you are interested in a puppy or young dog.
Some of our dogs may exhibit behavioral or emotional issues that might require the new owner to undertake follow-up training. Potential adoptive families need to be prepared to deal with these situations and to work with the dog as s/he adjusts to a new home. If you want a fully trained and emotionally secure dog or if you do not have the time or energy to devote to obedience training/housetraining/socialization, adopting a rescue Cavalier may not be appropriate for you.
Some of our dogs have medical problems and may need specialized veterinary care for the rest of their lives. Although we ensure that each dog is fully examined by a veterinarian and checked/treated for medical problems, we often do not have complete medical histories and cannot guarantee the long-term health of any dog. If you are unprepared or unable to provide quality veterinary care or cannot cope with a dog with special needs, adopting a rescue Cavalier may not be a good option.
If you want to adopt a dog for an upcoming event or by a specific date (birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.), adopting a rescue Cavalier is not a good idea. We are an all-volunteer organization and rely on many different people to prepare a dog for rehoming. We cannot guarantee that a dog will be available for adoption based on your time frame.
If you have strong preferences for color, sex, or age, the harder it will be to make a suitable match. The more flexible you are, the easier it will be for us to find you a great Cavalier companion.
We never know when dogs will be surrendered to us, so patience, an open mind, and determination will go a long way in helping us find your forever Cavalier.
For more information to help you decide whether a rescue Cavalier is right for you, please click here.
Click here to find out more about our dogs who are currently seeking forever homes.
How do I release a Cavalier for placement?
We do NOT purchase Cavaliers from owners, shelters, breeders, or veterinarians. All dogs accepted by the club must be voluntarily surrendered. If you would like to release a dog to us, please complete the following steps:
Our confidentiality rules prevent us from releasing information about where a dog is fostered or ultimately placed for adoption. However, upon request we will inform prior owners/surrenderers when a dog is successfully rehomed.
- Make or get copies of the dog's veterinary records (if available). We need as much information on the dog as possible so that we do not give a dog unnecessary vaccinations or medications.
- E-mail our rescue chair to obtain the Release Agreement and Intake forms. NB: ALL owners of the dog must sign the release agreement. If you obtained the dog from a breeder, it is very important that you provide us with the breeder's contact information if you have it.
- E-mail the completed Release Agreement and Intake forms to our rescue chair
- Arrange a time and place to meet with one of our rescue volunteers to surrender the dog. We ask that in addition to the vet records you bring the dog's crate or bed, collar, leash, bowls, current food and medications, brushes and combs, and favorite toys, if any, with you when you release the dog to our care. Having familiar items around often helps the dog adjust better to a foster home and reduces our expenses for foster care.
How do I adopt a rescue Cavalier?
Our goal in rehoming rescue Cavaliers is to find the best forever family based on the dog's perceived emotional, physical, and social needs. To that end, you must FIRST complete our Preliminary Adoption Application and References forms.
Due to the volume of interest in our dogs, please do not contact us before we receive your preliminary adoption application. We are an all-volunteer operation and simply do not have the resources to respond to all inquiries. Moreover, we do not generally release information about specific dogs in our care until we receive a preliminary adoption application and have checked your references.
We do at least one telephone interview, check references, and conduct a home visit with every potential adoptive family. All individuals and animals who will be living in the same home with or responsible for caring for the Cavalier must be present for the home visit. If a family currently has other animals or had animals in the past, we require a reference from their principal veterinarian.
After we have reviewed a completed application, checked your references, and conducted your home visit, we will contact you via phone or e-mail if we have a Cavalier who might meet your needs. You will then arrange for a visit with the dog at his/her foster home (in some cases we may arrange to bring the dog to your home for a visit). If you decide to adopt the dog, you will be required to complete our adoption contract and make arrangements to take your dog home at a later date. Please note that we will contact you via phone or e-mail after the adoption is finalized and may conduct postadoptive home visits to follow up on the placement of the dog.
Adoption applications are held for six months. If you have not adopted a rescue Cavalier within that time frame, you will need to reapply in order to remain in our database of potential adoptive families.
What does it cost to adopt a rescue Cavalier?
We ask all individuals surrendering a dog to our care for a donation of up to $200.00 to assist in our rescue efforts. However, we never turn away any dog in need of assistance.
We ask all families who adopt a rescue Cavalier for a donation of up to $400.00 for a dog 7 years or age or younger. For families who adopt a senior (aged 8+) or a special needs Cavalier, we ask only for a donation of up to $200.00.
While we receive discounts and donations from various businesses for our dogs, your donations help defray the costs of care. Our foster families and volunteers are NEVER paid for their services.
All donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. You will be provided with a receipt for income tax purposes. All monies collected go directly back to our Houston-area rescue efforts.
How can I help?
We are always looking for volunteers and donations of money or supplies. If you are interested in volunteering with our rescue program, please complete our Volunteer Application form.
If you are interested in fostering rescue Cavaliers in particular, please also complete our Foster Home Application and References forms.
If you would like to donate food, medicine, beds, crates, leashes, collars, grooming tools, or other items, please contact our rescue chair by e-mail or call 281-932-2807.
Please also let us know if your organization has a matching gift program or if you are interested in including our rescue efforts in your estate planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do I have to fill out a preliminary adoption application first? I only want to know if there are dogs available and then I might apply.
A: Although we may not have dogs in foster care from time to time, our goal in rehoming rescue dogs is to minimize the time they spend in temporary living situations. As a result, we seek to preapprove adoptive families well before dogs arrive in our care. Moreover, we cannot guarantee the continued availability of a particular dog until we offer him/her to you to be considered for adoption. If you are unsure or not serious about adopting a rescue Cavalier, please do not file a preliminary adoption application.
Q: Why do you ask to meet everyone in the adoptive family home?
A: Cavaliers are an extremely people-oriented breed. They need to be with their family as much as possible and enjoy giving and receiving love and attention. Cavaliers are indoor dogs and do not adapt well to living outdoors. Although they tend to get along well with other dogs and cats, they still have strong hunting instincts so animals such as ferrets, rats, gerbils, hamsters, birds, and the like may not be safe. Some Cavaliers may be nervous around small children or too spirited for certain environments. Before we place a dog in your home, we need to know who the dog will interact with on a regular basis and that responsible adults will ensure that the dog is properly cared for and loved.
Q: A few years ago, I had to surrender my dog to a shelter. Is that going to be held against me?
A: We consider each adoption application on its own merits and review special situations on a case-by-case basis. Generally speaking, however, anyone with a history of abuse or neglect will not be considered for adoption.
Q: Since you do not usually get puppies in rescue, can you let me adopt one that is not spayed or neutered so I can breed my own litter?
A: No. We do not place dogs who have not been spayed or neutered, nor do we aid or abet irresponsible breeding practices.
Q: Why do you require a fully-fenced yard? We have an Invisible Fence; isn't that good enough?
A: Cavaliers are a very sociable and friendly breed. They will happily chase after another animal or cars or willingly go with someone into his/her house or car. They have no innate sense of danger and often assume that every person and animal they encounter is equally friendly. Reputable breeders often charge thousands of dollars for a purebred Cavalier, and there is an active black market in stolen Cavaliers. A fully-fenced yard not only keeps them in a secure spot, it also prevents other animals or people from having easy access to the dog. Invisible fencing does NOT provide the same degree of protection. Many Cavaliers will also gladly endure the brief zap they get from crossing the boundary line to get to something or someone. We also do not recommend tying a Cavalier up on a stake in the yard. Cavaliers are curious by nature and may inadvertently hurt themselves by trying to "play" with a lead or chain.
Q: I really want to adopt a dog for my child/parent/boyfriend/girlfriend as a surprise. Can you just check my references and home instead?
A: No. We do not place dogs to be given as gifts or transferred to a different home. We need to know that EVERYONE in an adoptive home is open to having a dog and can provide a secure, loving environment if necessary. In addition, our adoption agreement requires that if the adoptive family can no longer care for or does not want the dog at any time in the future for ANY reason, the dog MUST return to our rescue program. There are NO exceptions to this rule.
Q: Why do I have to reapply if I do not adopt a dog from you within six months?
A: While we never know how and when dogs will arrive in our rescue program and may not be able to accommodate all adoption requests within six months, we need the most up-to-date information possible before we offer a dog for placement. A lot can happen within six months, and your life circumstances might change such that adoption is no longer feasible for you.
Q: $400.00 is a lot to ask for a rescue dog. There are ads in the paper or on Craig's List offering Cavalier puppies for just a few hundred dollars more. Why should I adopt from you?
A: As with most things in life, caveat emptor - let the buyer beware! A purebred Cavalier puppy from a reputable breeder typically costs $2000 or more. Conscientious breeders routinely screen puppies for genetic problems, give them all the recommended puppy vaccinations, take them for regular veterinary exams, and carefully evaluate potential buyers before selling their puppies. They often offer lots of detailed advice and information to buyers and will keep in touch and offer assistance after the sale is complete. Good breeders do these things because they CARE about their dogs and what happens to them after they leave their homes. Moreover, reputable breeders almost NEVER have to place ads to sell puppies; they usually have a waiting list of prescreened buyers for the limited number of litters they breed each year. Most critically, good breeders NEVER surrender their dogs to a shelter/pound or rescue group and have provisions in their sales contracts requiring buyers to return puppies back to the breeders if they cannot keep them.
We have received reports over the years that some of the dogs offered for sale on sites like eBay and Craig's List are, in fact, stolen from their rightful owners. Buyers have reported seeing photos of the same dog on different websites being offered by different sellers or trying to contact a seller after the purchase and discovering that the phone number or e-mail address previously provided is suddenly invalid. We keep detailed records, check for microchips and tattoos, search for the original breeder and prior owners, and search the "missing dog" notices to ensure that we do not inadvertently adopt out a lost or stolen dog.
It is very important that you evaluate your family's financial position before you consider adopting or purchasing any dog. The cost of owning a reasonably healthy Cavalier can easily exceed $1000.00 per year for food, routine veterinary care, vaccinations, medicine, licenses, toys, grooming, training, etc. Dogs bought from puppy mills or disreputable breeders might have serious health or behavioral problems that can cost their owners thousands of dollars in the long run.
Like reputable breeders, we care about the Cavaliers in our rescue program and what happens to them. The donations we request from adoptive families never fully cover the cost of the services and tender loving care our volunteers generously give to these terrific dogs. More importantly, our donation requests are guidelines; we do not condition the adoption of any dog on a family's ability to donate.
