About Cavalier Rescue of Florida
Cavalier Rescue of Florida is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) rescue, organized to benefit Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in need. First as Mid-Florida Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Rescue (MFCKCSC Rescue), and now as Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc. (CRF) we have been saving Cavaliers since 2000, placing hundreds of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Learn more about what we do, our mission, where our dogs come from and if a cavalier rescue is right for you.
675
Dogs Helped
115
Volunteers
22
30
225,000
Number of Miles Traveled to help Cavaliers In Need
Mission
Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc. Established in 2000, (CRF) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3 rescue, established to benefit Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in need. We are dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, reuniting, and re-homing of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as well as education focused on Cavalier health, responsible dog ownership, reputable breeders and puppy mill awareness. CRF also serves as a resource to other rescue groups and private rescuers who are working to save Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. One of our main goals is to combine efforts with other Cavalier rescue groups to provide a stronghold of volunteers and foster homes throughout the state to ensure that all small towns and shelters will have someone to call when a Cavalier is in need.
Through the dedication of our cavalier-loving fosters, Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc. will provide love, shelter, food, human companionship, medical care and spay/neuter services for Cavaliers until a permanent placement in a pre-screened, suitable, permanent home is found that best suit the needs of the dog.
We do not accept euthanasia as a means of population control for animals and believe each Cavalier's life is meaningful and each deserves a loving home. Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc. wishes to eliminate the euthanasia of any healthy, adoptable Cavalier. We take responsibility for each Cavalier rescued and placed through Florida Cavalier Rescue, Inc. for the rest of the dog's natural life.
At the heart of rescue, is a passion for saving and helping another in need. Although, CRF is a breed specific group, if it is determined, after a dog has been accepted into rescue, that she is not a purebred Cavalier, CRF will provide for the dog in the same manner as any purebred Cavalier.
With the help of our dedicated volunteers and our wonderful adoptive families, we have placed over 500 Cavaliers in their forever homes.
What We Do
Our foster families have Cavaliers of their own, and love and understand the breed.; our foster parents learn and evaluate their behavior and habits.
Are they good with kids? Do they like long walks or ball play? House trained? Crate trained? Cuddle bug, licker or reserved?
Several partner veterinarians medically evaluate and treat the dogs including: vaccines, conditions treated, teeth cleaned, microchipping, and spaying or neutering. We also include nails and grooming. Then it becomes our task to find the right forever home for each dog.
We do adoptions based on best match. We take into consideration dogs that may be of interest to you, but we assess the dogs needs and requirements at minimum, and match to an applicants' home, lifestyle, etc. Careful screening is done which includes personal references, vet references, an interview, and a home visit. All cavaliers are placed in homes that best suit the needs of the dog.
Since we have fewer dogs than we do applicants, we encourage you to complete our online Adoption Application. You will need to provide personal and vet references as well in the form.
Is a Cavalier Right For You?
The most important thing to do before you decide to adopt, is to familiarize yourself with the breed. Do research! here are options Google, dog shows, books or someone with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
The breed, especially rescues, can range in weight and size. Not all Cavaliers are small. And we cannot guarantee their genetic history.
Cavaliers are extremely people oriented and want nothing more than to give and receive affection and attention. They need to be with their family. Because of this, some people find them to be overly affectionate, so if you are not a person who likes a dog to kiss you on the lips, lick your ear, lie in your lap, next to you on the furniture, or share your bed, a Cavalier may not be the dog for you. Their greatest joy is to be with you.
Cavaliers are very social, so we do not like to place them in homes where they would be left alone a lot. Ideally a family member would be home during most of the day, and/or other dogs in the house.
As a rule, they get along well with other dogs and also cats. You must keep in mind, however, that they are a small spaniel and most still have fairly strong hunting instincts; so lizards, squirrels, gerbil, hamster or bird, may not be safe.
After doing your research, if you still want a Cavalier rescue and you live or will travel to the state of Florida, we would love to help you find the right Cavalier for you.
3-3-3 Rule
Rescuing a new dog can be rewarding and bring joy to your entire family. Before you adopt shelter dogs, you should understand the 3-3-3 rule. The 3-3-3 rule represents the phases of a rescue dog or common milestones your new dog or puppy will go through 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months after being adopted. Three days to decompress, three weeks to feel settled, three months to feel at home.
Where Do Our Dogs Come From?
Most of our dogs come from Florida, but we have, in desperate situations, gone as far as West Virginia and Indiana to help Cavaliers in need.
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Florida shelters:
Our volunteers comb the websites of Florida shelters looking for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels which we save from being destroyed. (Yes, people do drop them off at shelters when they do not want a dog anymore.) Many times, strays are also a sad reality.CRF also checks craigslist for Cavaliers who need a new home.
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Puppy Mills:
Sadly, some of our dogs come from puppy mill raids. We are contacted by the agency who does the mill busts to take care of the Cavaliers who have been severely neglected. We have also gotten cavaliers who have been dumped at an auction after living their youthful breeding years in horrible puppy mills.
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Owner Surrenders:
We take in dogs from owners who can no longer care for their Cavaliers because of life changes. Some are moving and are not allowed to have pets. For some, job loss has caused financial chaos. One of the saddest reasons Cavaliers come into rescue is they have an elderly owner who is going into a nursing home or has passed away.
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Veterinary Offices:
Occasionally, we get calls from vets who want us to take in a Cavalier who has been abandoned at his office or dropped off to be euthanized.
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Breeders:
Sometimes breeders will give us their retired Cavaliers to place in loving homes after their breeding years are behind them.
"We make a life by what we give." - Sir Winston Churchill
And you will save a life, even many lives, by giving to the cavaliers of Cavalier Rescue of Florida.
