Welcome in, Richie! 💜
Precious Richie comes to us as a shelter transfer from Kentucky after he was found stray and in rough shape. It was discovered that Richie came from a nearby Amish puppy mill where he had been intentionally dumped. Thankfully, he found his way to the safety of a shelter — and when we received the call asking if we could take him in, it was an easy yes! 
Yesterday, Richie made the journey from Kentucky to Alabama thanks to the help of 5 volunteer drivers, and today, he completed his full intake vetting here in Birmingham, Alabama. We are currently awaiting his lab results and will share a full medical update once everything is in.
We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with the shelter that reached out on Richie’s behalf and for their commitment to recognizing unique breed needs that often require a more specialized rescue approach. By working together, we are able to ensure the very best possible outcome for Cavaliers like Richie. It is so impactful when shelters and rescue partners share the same heart and vision for dogs in need 💕

UPDATE MAY 16, 2026: Earlier this week we welcomed in and introduced you to precious Richie, who came to us as a shelter transfer from Kentucky after he was found stray and in rough shape. It was discovered that Richie came from a nearby Amish puppy mill where he had been intentionally dumped and left to fend for himself. Thankfully, he found his way to the safety of a shelter and when we received the call asking if we could take him in, it was an easy yes. Richie made the journey from Kentucky to Alabama and has since completed his full intake vetting and ophthalmology consultation.Richie is very underweight at just 13 pounds and should be more like 17. His skin and coat are in very poor condition, and he arrived with multiple open wounds all over his boney little body. He is receiving wound care along with topical and oral antibiotics, and we’re happy to report that his wounds are already healing nicely. We are also treating him for bad ear infections that were clearly causing him a great deal of discomfort.We noticed immediately that Richie was struggling with his vision and once light was shined into his eyes, it became very evident why. Richie’s corneas are almost completely covered with pigment that he is unable to see through. This pigmentation developed as a secondary response to dry eye which has gone neglected, but also from a primary condition called pigmentary keratitis, which causes progressive pigmentation across the surface of the eye. Thankfully, there are eye medications that can help manage these conditions and we are very hopeful that with time we can successfully dissolve some of the pigment and restore much of his vision.The biggest surprise came when we lifted Richie’s perfect marshmallow cheeks and discovered bright white teeth with very little plaque buildup. Given his poor overall condition and what we initially thought was some greying around his face, we expected to find the mouth of an older dog in very poor dental condition. Instead, we discovered that Richie actually carries some merle coloring in his coat and that he must be a young boy. At this time, we estimate Richie to be around 2 years old.Richie will return to the vet next week for rechecks on his skin and ears and we hope to move forward with his neuter shortly after. He will spend the next month on an intensive eye drop regimen to give his eyes time to respond before revisiting the ophthalmologist in mid June.Richie is being fostered in Chelsea, Alabama where he just can’t seem to get enough love, affection, and attention. He loves being talked to and prefers to have a reassuring hand on him at all times. Since he cannot see well and was recently abandoned, we know that closeness gives him a much needed sense of comfort and security right now. Despite everything he has endured, he is being an incredibly brave boy who is already enjoying good food, outdoor freedom and exploring, car rides, and snuggles 💜 

UPDATE MAY 23, 2026: Just 2 weeks ago we welcomed in darling Richie after he was found stray in rough shape. It was discovered that Richie had come from a nearby Amish puppy mill where he had been intentionally dumped and left to fend for himself. While we will never fully know what Richie experienced and endured, he arrived emaciated - his tiny bony body covered in open and infected wounds, and carrying physical signs of prolonged neglect and suffering.
Today, only two weeks later, Richie’s transformation is already well underway (see photos for ‘before and afters’) ✨ After receiving treatment for his wounds, skin infection, ear infections, and anemia likely caused by a severe flea infestation, we are so happy to share that his skin and ears are now clear, his wounds have healed beautifully, and his hematocrit has rebounded back into normal range. With his health improving so nicely, Richie has officially been cleared to undergo his neuter surgery which is scheduled for next week 🙌🏼
Richie’s wiggles and playfulness let us know that he is not only looking better, but feeling so much better too 💜 Richie is being fostered in Chelsea, Alabama.

UPDATE MAY 31, 2026:  On Thursday, adorable Richie in Chelsea, Alabama underwent his neuter surgery and is resting and recovering well in his foster home in Chelsea, Alabama ❤️‍🩹 We are so pleased with how far this sweet boy has come since arriving in our care in such rough condition and love seeing him comfy and cozy with his Jakey Blankey 💕
Our Jakey Blankey program was started in honor of Jake, our very first hospice dog, and continues on as part of his legacy. Every Cavalier who comes into our care receives their very own blanket - a special comfort item that stays with them from foster home to furever home.
For many dogs, like Richie who came from a puppy mill, it’s their very first soft comfort and first very own possession they’ve ever had. Their blanket becomes a safe place to rest, decompress, and recover with in their foster home, and later helps ease the transition into their forever home by carrying familiar scents into an otherwise brand new environment. And as you can see, Richie is already making very good use of his 🤍
Richie’s next steps include an ophthalmology recheck on 6/18 as we continue actively working to restore the vision that has been compromised by his severely neglected dry eye and pigmentary keratitis conditions. We will be sure to continue to keep you posted on his progress 💜

UPDATE AUGUST 17, 2026:  When Richie came into our care, he was in overall poor health, malnourished, and living with significant visual impairment due to excessive pigmentation covering his eyes. There was so much pigment that you could not his pupils. With the help of medications and cyclosporine implants, Richie’s eyes have made incredible progress. These tiny implants were surgically placed in his eyes and slowly release cyclosporine over an extended period of time, helping improve tear production and control the chronic inflammation that contributes to his pigment buildup. This has helped not only break up and reduce Richie’s existing pigmentation, but is also preventing further pigment from developing.And as all that pigment began clearing, Richie vision has improved and also revealed a little surprise hiding underneath… some beautiful blue in his eyes 💙 This is due to Richie apparently carrying the merle gene.We are thrilled with the improvement in both his eyes and his overall health. Richie arrived malnourished weighing only 13 pounds, but has now reached his ideal weight of 17 pounds and is looking and feeling so much healthier and has had quite the glow up ✨ Richie is being fostered in Chelsea, Alabama 💜