05/30/2026
TIA 🐶
SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA 🏝️
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION ⭐️
⏰ Low alone hours/plenty of opportunity for activity
🌱 Safe & secured fenced yard
🐶 Canine playmate(s) of similar size & temperament
💜 Older (10+), gentle children okay
🛑 If you do not check ALL of the above requirements, your application will not pass the screening process for consideration. We do not compromise on these requirements as we feel they are essential to a successful adoption with Tia.
🛑 Before applying to adopt, please be sure that the entire family is on board and committed, and that great consideration is given to the time, effort, and funds involved in properly and responsibly raising a puppy. Tia is available NOW, so please only apply if you are a great match and are able to travel at this time to finalize the adoption.
MEET TIA 🐶
Tia is one of nine Cavaliers that we recently rescued off the auction block and out of the puppy mill industry, intercepting plans for her to become a breeding dog where she would have endured a lifetime of reproductive abuse, neglect, and suffering. Instead, she now has the opportunity to live her best puppy life and her future will be that of a beloved, cherished companion. Tia just turned 6 months old (DOB 11/26/2025), is already off to a great start in her foster home, and is now ready to find her perfect furever family.
MEDICAL 🩺
Tia is now a healthy 6 month old girl. She is up to date to vaccinations, microchipped, and on monthly preventatives. Her eyes, knees, hips, and heart were found to be clear and congenitally sound, and all of her labwork including her f***l test, heartworm and tick borne illness test, urinalysis, and bloodwork is normal and negative. Tia will need to be spayed by 12 months of age and has a small umbilical hernia that should also be repaired at that time.
FOOD & POTTY HABITS 🥘
Tia is currently weighing 9 pounds and is a growing girl! She is eating a puppy formula kibble which she should continue through 12 months of age. She loves her food and is eager and excited for her 3 meals a day around 8am, 12noon, and 5pm which she has come to expect like clockwork - and will let you know if you are late! Because she inhales her food, she is eating out of a 'slow feeder bowl' to help slow her down. If she is eating alongside other dogs, supervision will be needed to ensure she doesn't visit the other dogs' bowls after she races to finish hers. This food motivated girl is enjoying small pieces of healthy fruits and vegetables as treats like apple, pumpkin, watermelon, and cucumber, and of course loves sharing a pup cup (a small amount of whipped cream) with her Cavalier foster sisters.
Tia has just started her potty training and is off to an impressive start only having had a few accidents since arriving to her foster home. Puppies have tiny bladders and need to be taken out frequently to ensure continued potty training success - first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and every hour or two throughout the day including right after meals and immediately after waking up from naps. She will sniff the floor and start to circle when she needs to go so her family should also keep watch for these cues and quickly direct her outside. She potties best being let out and supervised in a well maintained safe and secured fenced yard, receiving immediate praise after good potty behavior, and then a small treat upon coming back inside. She loves being outside in the yard and is happy to be taken out. Tia has proven to be a clever girl who learns quickly and responds very well to praise and positive reinforcement. But please understand that while she is off to a great start with her potty training, she is a puppy and there will be accidents. Continued training will be needed and required for some time.
PERSONALITY 💕
While Tia was initially timid and terrified, she's blossomed beautifully over the past month into a very typical playful, curious, silly, enthusiastic, and mischievous puppy! In true puppy fashion, she is into everything and wants to know all of your business, all of the time, following right on your heels so she doesn't miss a beat. She has also discovered toys and is almost always running through the house with one in her mouth. Her foster mom says, "she has found every toy that our dogs have ever had and keeps them scattered all over the house. As soon as I pick them up and put them in their bin, she starts removing them and leaving them all over the house again. It’s a game for her!" She also likes to chew on nylabone type chew toys, enjoys chasing little bouncing balls, and loves plushie toys that squeak. Nothing makes her happier than having a pup playmate that will engage in play with her, and because she is desperate for a playmate, she is relentless in trying to get her Cavalier foster sisters to play with her often presenting them with a toy in hopes it will entice them. Thankfully, one will amuse her and they will romp, wrestle, chase each other around the furniture, and play tug-of-war with toys. She also loves being outside in the yard where she has plenty of room to zoom, play, explore and is always on watch for anything that moves, like lizards and birds. Being a young pup, she pulls plenty of puppy antics and has bursts of boundless energy, literally bouncing around from place to place, but when she has run out of steam and is sleepy, she loves to curl up in your lap and turns into a sweet snuggle puppy.
ROUTINE ⏰
Tia's morning starts with being taken out to potty in the yard, comes in for breakfast, and then back out for play. She then spends much of the day with her foster family and her Cavalier foster sisters where she enjoys a leisurely day of fun, play, activity, and adventure. She enjoys plenty of time outside in the yard, goes on at least one leashed walk around the neighborhood a day, and most days also include at least one car ride. She is always wherever her people and siblings are and has had very little alone time. But during the short periods of time when no humans are at home, she has stayed in an xpen in the living room where she shares the same space with her Cavalier foster siblings. An xpen gives her more space and comfort than a crate as she has access to a potty pad, bed, water, and toys. That said, she has not been left for more than a couple hours at a time and is certainly happiest being with her people and having lots of opportunity for activity, engagement, and play. Therefore, we are seeking a family where someone will be with her much of the day and where she will have low alone time.
In the evenings after dinner, she likes to wind down with cuddles on the couch. She will still cower down when you go to pick her up so it is best to let her approach you and initiate wanting snuggles instead of reaching and grabbing for her. When it is time for bed, she is taken out for final potty and then uses the pet steps to get on the big bed. After a day full of activity and play, she is worn out and sleeps hard. She would not do well being asked to sleep apart from her people and so we are seeking a family who will continue to invite her into the big bed to snuggle and sleep. Pet steps to the bed should be provided to her so she can safely get on and off the bed as she should not be jumping.
SOCIALIZATION 💜
Spending her first 5 months in a puppy mill, Tia is behind on her socialization but has been getting good, gentle social experiences and exposures in her foster home and has learned that humans can be safe and good. The most important thing for Tia when meeting and engaging with people, is that it is done with Tia taking the lead and initiative rather than people approaching, reaching out, and touching her which will send her cowering and scared. She does best first watching her Cavalier foster sisters receive attention and affection from people and then she will follow their lead wanting it too. It is important to remember that everything is brand new to her and to go slowly with introductions and be intentional about making every exposure a positive interaction and association. A lot of sounds are also brand new to her and she can be easily alerted to and startled by loud or new noises. We've discovered that she is scared during storms but wearing a thunder shirt helps.
Because positive human interactions and experiences are crucial at this time for her socialization, she should have plenty of opportunities to meet and interact with people. She has started leash walking practice so that she can start to get out and about more and expand her little world. She needs to be walked alongside her canine companion whom she can follow and we would encourage her family to continue safe leash walking practice in quiet, low traffic areas. For bigger outings and adventures, a stroller or carrier can be used until she is more comfortable and confident being on a leash in public settings. She also enjoys going for car rides, riding safely and comfortably in her boosted car seat with her Cavalier foster sisters, and loves being able to be with you and tag along whenever appropriate. We are seeking a family who will be sure to include her in their daily activities and will ask that her family provide a boosted car seat for her.
Tia shares her foster home with 2 other young Cavalier and is extremely dependent on them at this time. She has no idea how to be a 'dog' and while this big new world is still scary for her, including humans, she finds security and comfort in the presence, closeness, and companionship of other dogs. She has learned everything from her Cavalier foster siblings and looks to them to know what to do, where to go, and how to behave. She does not let them out of her sight and won't try anything that they haven't tried first and deemed okay. When she was once taken out of the home without the other dogs, she was an absolute nervous wreck - drooling and trembling the entire time. Having at least one other canine furiend for companionship and leadership is of the utmost importance to her. Therefore we are seeking a home with another young active, playful Cavalier, or other dog(s) of similar size and temperament. Her ideal match would be a resident dog(s) who is friendly and welcoming, very tolerant of her typical puppy antics, will happily share their toys, belongings, and humans, engage in play and activity with her, and also welcome her sweet and close puppy snuggles. Her puppy energy can be a too ‘much’ for some dogs, like most older dogs, and she can be relentless in trying to engage with them and make them her friend. For that reason she would do best with another young pup who can really match her play and energy, and who will romp, wrestle, and chase her! She would do well and be happy in a multi dog home and loves to be right in the middle of the pack. She has not had any experience with cats while in our care so we are unsure how she would do living with a feline friend.
IDEAL HOME & FAMILY 🏡
Most importantly, Tia needs a family who can shower her with so much love and attention and make her an included and important member of the family. She also needs a gentle and patient family as there will be accidents, antics, chewing, and mishaps, as well as an energetic family to keep up with her and meet her activity needs. Because puppies need a lot of stimulation, attention, training, activity, and supervision, we are seeking a family where someone will be with her most of the day to allow for plenty of opportunity for play, activity, socialization, and training. We feel Tia would be happy and do well in a fun, active adult only home or a home with older (age 10+), gentle, well behaved children with dog experience who know how to love and engage with her appropriately and gently, and know to keep their things out of puppy reach as anything within her reach is up for grabs. One of her biggest needs is a great match furry furiend that she can rely on for both leadership and companionship and who will be instrumental in her continued growth.
We are also seeking a home with a safe and secured fenced yard for potty purposes and so that she can continue to enjoy her outdoor freedom - she loves being out in the yard where she can expend much of her puppy energy! She must be supervised outside at all times as puppies will be puppies and try to put everything in their mouths. Yards should be well maintained and puppy proofed, and fences that are not 'privacy' will need to be reinforced due to her small size and being able to fit through narrow spaces. In addition to a safe outdoor area for pottying and play, we will also be looking for a very 'puppy proofed' home. Anything within reach of the pup is up for grabs and so ensuring both the inside and outside of the home can and will be well maintained for her safety is imperative. Because she is a tiny pup, she will need to be protected from stairs and any railings that she may be able to squeeze through. She does not understand dangers, so her new family must be diligent to keep her safe and equipment like gates and xpens may need to be utilized to do so. Tia is a fearless leaper and so pet steps to the sofa and should be provided to her and encouraged to use to safely get on and off furniture.
HOW TO APPLY 💻
Tia is a precious puppy who is loving and embracing her new life filled with toys, treats, freedom, friends, and love and will continue to blossom and thrive in her perfect furever home. If you are up for the adventures, challenges, and joys of puppyhood, and feel you’re a great match, please fill out an adoption application found on our website, TheCavalierRescue.org, then email us at [email protected] to express your interest, letting us know why you feel you are a match. Tia is located in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and travel there is required. She is available for adoption now so please only apply if you are a great match and are able to travel to her to finalize the adoption at this time. Her requested adoption donation is $650.
