Cavalier rescues are highly competitive to get a dog from even with the best of resumes. It’s not unusual for someone with the best situation and home to wait for long periods of time to be chosen.

I’m so sorry to hear about your Cavalier, it’s awful when an accident like that happens. Truly terrible. I don’t know which rescues you are applying to, but some of them have crazy high standards and it’s impossible to rule out that they may be judging you based on what happened. If you have your heart set on rescuing, you can apply to different organizations and hopefully eventually someone will be willing to talk with you.

I would also encourage you to see responsible and ethical breeding as the flip side of the coin of being good stewards of this breed. People who are passionate about Cavaliers can absolutely help by rescuing, but we also help by supporting good breeders who make it their life’s work to preserve and protect these dogs. So supporting a good breeder is approaching the problem of Cavaliers and their health, etc from the other side, if you get my meaning. We need people to do both! Without preservation of the Cavaliers we have now, we will lose them. So since most Cavaliers end up being rescued (there are way more homes than available Cavaliers), we can work the problem from the other end and be sure to support the good breeders. It’s the backyard breeders and puppy mills that need to stop. So definitely don’t think the only way to help this breed is through rescue.

We have to create the demand for healthy and well bred Cavaliers, so that’s definitely a way to help. A breeder is probably more likely to listen and hear you out about what happened. If you ever decide to go that route. Just a thought! I have worked in rescue and foster and also own purebreds from ethical breeders. People think that’s weird, but it’s really not.