Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Cavalier
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
A Cavalier with a heart murmur or another health condition can still find a good new home, and planning the move carefully helps. The Royal Kennel Club names mitral valve disease, syringomyelia and eye conditions as the main health issues screened for in Cavaliers, so the next home will want to know what your vet has found. Pass on the records, describe your dog honestly, and the right adopter can plan for it.
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Why Cavaliers end up needing a new home
We haven't found a UK source that says why Cavaliers are given up, so we won't guess. What the sources do describe is what the breed can need. The Royal Kennel Club says mitral valve disease (MVD) has an earlier onset in the Cavalier and is often picked up as a heart murmur, and its syringomyelia project describes a condition in the spinal cord whose most common sign is intermittent neck pain. Diagnosis is by MRI scan.
Dogs Trust says you will generally need to brush a Cavalier most days to prevent matting, that the breed sheds heavily and is likely to need professional grooming, and that Cavaliers are at higher risk of heat stroke.
None of this makes your dog a problem, or you a bad owner. It usually means the match didn’t fit, and a careful rehoming fixes exactly that.
What to tell adopters about your Cavalier
Heart checks and vet records. Say whether your dog has had a heart check, whether a murmur has been heard, and what treatment or monitoring the vet advised. The Royal Kennel Club runs a heart scheme for the breed with approved cardiologists, so include any certificate you have. It also says many dogs diagnosed with MVD "continue to live to a good age and enjoy a happy life".
Signs of syringomyelia. The Royal Kennel Club's project page lists yelping, reluctance to jump and climb, and "phantom scratching" at the neck and shoulder as signs. If you have seen any of these, or your dog has had an MRI scan, tell adopters.
Grooming and coat. Dogs Trust says Cavaliers need brushing most days, with extra grooming in autumn and spring when they shed more. Describe your routine and how your dog copes with being groomed.
People, children and other dogs. Dogs Trust says every Cavalier's temperament is different, shaped by its own experiences, so some like meeting other dogs and some take new things slowly. Tell adopters how your dog is with children, visitors and other animals.
Cavalier King Charles rescues that take owners’ dogs
We couldn’t confirm a Cavalier breed rescue that is taking owners’ dogs when we checked. The national charities below take every breed, and you can list your dog yourself at the same time.
National charities that take any breed
Dogs Trustdogs
Two routes: Homestay, where your dog stays with you while Dogs Trust finds a new home (it says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"), or a kennel or foster place, which "could take a few weeks". Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free, and it aims to reply within 72 hours. Start with a call on 0300 303 2188 or its online form.
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Should you charge a rehoming fee?
You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.
How listing your Cavalier on LocalPetFinder works
- Fill in the free listing form. Photos, age, health, how your dog is with children and other animals, and an honest description. It takes about ten minutes, and your dog stays at home with you.
- A person checks it, usually within a day, before it goes live.
- Your Cavalier appears next to rescue dogs on the Cavaliers pages for your city (Ashford, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Chippenham, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dover, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Folkestone, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hartlepool, Hayle, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kendal, Kidderminster, Kingston upon Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Lowestoft, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Newquay, North East Lincolnshire, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Penrith, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Sleaford, Solihull, Southampton, Southport, Spalding, St. Helens, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Torbay, Truro, Wakefield, Walsall, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Wrexham, York), marked as listed by the owner.
- You choose. Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email and phone number stay private. You decide who to meet and who takes your dog, and you hand over in person.
We take listings from owners anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the new owner needs a dog licence before they take a dog, so ask to see it before the handover.
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Start your free listing →Before the handover: the must-dos
The microchip has to be transferred
In England, Scotland and Wales a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database (England, Scotland, Wales); in Scotland the keeper's own details must also be correct before the handover. In England the same applies to cats, while in Scotland and Wales chipping a cat is optional. Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers
Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.
Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all
It's against the law in England, Scotland and Wales to give away a banned dog. In England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, Scottish guidance says it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully" (gov.scot), and since 1 August 2024 it has been an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, don't list it.
Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest
Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.
Rehoming your Cavalier: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Is there a Cavalier rescue that will take my dog?
We couldn't confirm an active UK Cavalier rescue that takes owners' dogs when we checked on 6 October 2026. The national charities on this page take every breed, and you can list your Cavalier with us at the same time. If you find a Cavalier rescue yourself, check that it is a registered charity and that its site shows recent activity.
My Cavalier has a heart murmur. Can I still rehome them?
Yes. Tell adopters about it and pass on the vet records. The Royal Kennel Club says mitral valve disease is often picked up as a heart murmur, and that many dogs diagnosed with it continue to live to a good age and enjoy a happy life. An adopter who knows can plan for check-ups and insurance.
My Cavalier scratches at the air near their neck. What should I tell adopters?
Tell them what you have seen and what your vet has said. The Royal Kennel Club lists "phantom scratching" at the neck and shoulder, yelping and reluctance to jump as signs of syringomyelia, which is diagnosed by MRI scan. If your vet hasn't seen it yet, ask them before you rehome, so the next home has the full picture.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel · The Royal Kennel Club: Heart Scheme for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels · The Royal Kennel Club: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Syringomyelia Project · Dogs Trust: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel