33 Dogs Were Found In A U-Haul..So We Groomed Them ALL!

33 Dogs Were Found In A U-Haul..So We Groomed Them ALL!Navid Tavakolnia Sat, October 24, 2026 at 6:06 PM UTC

When police opened the back of a U-Haul truck parked on private property, they discovered something heartbreaking.

Inside the dark, unventilated cargo area were 33 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

According to reports discussed by the rescue team, the dogs had matted, dirty coats and limited access to food and water.

They were rescued from the truck, but their ordeal was far from over.

Months later, all 33 dogs were still living at a shelter, unable to be adopted because of an ongoing legal case.

When the shelter reached out for help, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I loaded up our grooming truck and headed straight there.

We were going to groom all 33 Cavaliers.

But there was one dog I couldn’t stop thinking about.

A sweet little girl I had met in a previous video.

She had spent her life being identified as number eight.

And this time, I was determined to give her something she’d never had before.

A name.

33 Dogs Rescued From a Truck, but Still Unable to Go Home

The story began when police responded to a trespassing complaint.

According to Alexis, officers discovered a U-Haul truck parked on private property. When they opened its cargo area, they found 33 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels inside.

Body-camera footage captured the rescue.

The truck’s cargo area reportedly lacked ventilation, and the dogs were not receiving proper care.

Their coats were dirty and matted, and a report described limited access to food and water.

The dogs were taken to a shelter, but their legal situation created another challenge.

They were being held as evidence in an ongoing court case.

That meant they couldn’t simply be placed up for adoption, even though the shelter desperately wanted them to find homes.

And caring for 33 dogs at once was putting enormous pressure on a facility that wasn’t designed to board so many animals for an extended period.

Staff members were doing what they could, including providing regular walks, but the situation affected the shelter’s resources and its ability to care for other animals.

I knew we couldn’t solve the legal case ourselves.

But we could help these dogs feel more comfortable.

And we could give them something that might seem small but meant a great deal to me.

Their own names.

She Had Been Known as Number Eight Her Entire Life

When I entered the kennel, I immediately recognized her.

She was the same Cavalier I had sat with during my previous visit.

And seeing her again was emotional.

She came close, accepted my affection, and seemed happy to reconnect.

I couldn’t help wondering whether she remembered me.

I had spent so many nights thinking about her and worrying about what would happen next.

Her coat needed attention, and she was clearly itchy and uncomfortable.

But before we started grooming, I wanted to address something else.

She didn’t have a proper name.

She was simply number eight.

That had bothered me ever since our first meeting.

How do you talk about someone you care about when all you have is a number?

I wanted her to have an identity beyond the legal case and the kennel where she was staying.

And Kelly had helped me come up with the perfect name.

From Number Eight to Princess Catherine

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a regal history, so Kelly suggested giving our little girl a royal name.

We decided on Catherine, after Catherine, Princess of Wales.

It felt right.

This sweet dog had spent so much of her life without the comfort and attention she deserved.

Now, at least, she could have a beautiful name of her own.

I introduced her to everyone as Catherine.

Our little princess.

And I promised that we would do the same for the other 32 dogs.

Each one deserved to be recognized as an individual.

But Catherine had another challenge beyond her badly matted coat.

She also had a large hernia.

Because she was being held as legal evidence, the team explained that surgery could not simply be scheduled without the necessary authorization.

Her condition was not considered sufficiently life-threatening to justify immediate intervention under the circumstances described.

The plan was to address the hernia when the legal situation allowed.

In the meantime, we could give Catherine some much-needed grooming care.

Catherine’s Matted Fur Was Worse Than It Looked

When I brought Catherine to our grooming truck, Cameron began assessing her coat.

She had been bathed when she first arrived at the shelter, but approximately three months had passed.

Her fur had become badly matted, particularly around her tail and ears.

I had hoped Cameron could give her a traditional Cavalier haircut.

But as he examined her, it became clear that some sections of her coat were too tangled to preserve.

Her tail was heavily matted, and the fur around her ears was especially difficult.

Cameron explained that he would try to save as much of her characteristic Cavalier appearance as possible.

But her comfort had to come first.

If removing the matting meant cutting her ears shorter, that’s what needed to happen.

Catherine deserved to feel better, even if her haircut ended up looking a little different than we’d originally imagined.

And while Cameron worked, we received another surprise.

We finally had an estimate of Catherine’s age.

We Finally Learned How Old Catherine Really Was

Until that day, we hadn’t known Catherine’s age.

So I decided to make a little guessing game out of the results.

Cameron guessed she was around five.

Another guess was three.

I went even younger and guessed two.

Then we checked the age estimate from her DNA test.

Catherine was estimated to be five years and three months old.

That was wonderful to hear.

She wasn’t an elderly dog nearing the end of her life.

She was still relatively young, with plenty of life ahead of her.

Of course, the legal case meant we still didn’t know when she would be able to leave the shelter.

But learning her estimated age made me even more hopeful about the future she might eventually have.

And Catherine wasn’t the only dog getting a transformation.

Kelly was about to meet another Cavalier who needed just as much help.

Kelly Fell in Love With a Shaggy Little Cavalier

While Catherine was being groomed, I decided to surprise Kelly.

I picked out a reddish-brown male Cavalier and brought him into a kennel so she could spend time with him.

Her reaction was immediate.

She thought he was adorable.

He was affectionate, eager to be close, and happy to receive attention.

But underneath his shaggy coat, Kelly could feel extensive matting.

His ears were especially tangled, and there were more knots around his neck and belly.

It was difficult to see such a loving little dog dealing with so much discomfort.

Still, he seemed delighted to have company.

Kelly held him, talked to him, and admired his beautiful reddish coloring.

Then we decided he needed a royal name, too.

With his red hair, one name came to mind.

Harry.

And just like that, another dog who had been known only through the shelter’s case was given a name of his own.

Harry’s Grooming Revealed Just How Severe the Matting Was

When Harry arrived at the grooming truck, Cameron examined his coat.

The matting was extensive.

There were tight knots around his ears, belly, legs, and the areas where a traditional Cavalier haircut would normally preserve longer fur.

Some of the mats were packed so tightly that Cameron compared their layers to flipping through sheets of paper.

He wanted to keep Harry’s classic Cavalier appearance, but the condition of his coat made that difficult.

A close shave was the better option for removing the painful tangles.

Fortunately, one beautiful feature could be saved.

His tail.

Unlike the rest of his coat, Harry’s tail wasn’t badly matted.

Cameron was able to preserve its long fur while trimming the rest of his body much shorter.

After hours of grooming, Harry began getting nervous, especially when Cameron worked on his paws.

So Cameron slowed down and gave him time to feel comfortable.

By the time the grooming was finished, Harry looked almost like a different dog.

The Dog Kelly Met Looked Like a Little Teddy Bear

When Kelly saw Harry after his grooming session, she could hardly believe the transformation.

His coat was dramatically shorter, his ears had been trimmed, and his long tail stood out against his newly groomed body.

He looked like a tiny teddy bear.

Cameron explained that Harry had handled the grooming well, although he’d become nervous near the end.

Given how much matting needed to be removed, that was understandable.

The important thing was that the tight knots were gone.

Kelly was delighted to see him looking so different.

And Harry wasn’t the only one undergoing a transformation.

Mel, the shelter groomer, and Cheryl, the volunteer coordinator, had joined Cameron in helping care for the Cavaliers.

The work was enormous.

Grooming just four of the dogs—Grace, Margaret, Belinda, and Charlotte—took more than ten hours.

And the entire project unfolded over days and weeks, not a single afternoon.

As each dog was groomed and given a name, we started seeing more of their individual personalities.

It was exactly what I’d hoped for.

Why These 33 Cavaliers Still Can’t Be Adopted

One of the biggest questions people have asked is why the dogs remain at the shelter.

Why can’t they simply be adopted into loving homes?

The answer is complicated.

According to the information discussed in the video, the Cavaliers remain tied to an ongoing legal case.

In many states, animals are legally classified as property, which can complicate their status when they are involved in court proceedings.

For these 33 dogs, that means the shelter cannot yet begin the adoption process.

And the shelter is struggling with the consequences.

Thirty-three dogs require food, housing, veterinary attention, grooming, exercise, and staff time.

Those resources also affect the other animals waiting for care and adoption.

The shelter wants the Cavaliers to find families.

But it must work within the legal restrictions surrounding their case.

I also discussed California’s AB 2344, legislation intended to address certain challenges involving animals held during legal proceedings.

Its potential relevance to this particular case remains uncertain.

For now, the dogs are still waiting.

And that means people interested in adopting them need to wait, too.

The shelter is not accepting adoption applications or maintaining a waiting list for these Cavaliers at this time.

I asked viewers not to contact the shelter about adopting them yet.

Instead, I’ll share updates as soon as their legal status changes.

Anyone who wants to follow their progress can sign up at RockyKanaka.com/email.

Then Came Catherine’s Big Reveal

After watching so many Cavaliers receive their makeovers, it was finally time to see Catherine again.

The little girl who had once been known only as number eight.

The dog I had spent countless nights worrying about.

The one whose story had inspired me to return with our grooming truck.

When she appeared after her haircut, I was overwhelmed.

She looked adorable.

Her coat was shorter, the heavy matting had been addressed, and she finally had the fresh grooming she’d needed.

She looked like our little princess.

Seeing Catherine after her transformation was one of the most rewarding moments of the entire experience.

And knowing that the grooming team was helping all 33 Cavaliers made it even more meaningful.

Their Makeovers Are Complete, but Their Stories Aren’t Over

When I first heard about the 33 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels found inside that U-Haul truck, I couldn’t stop thinking about what they’d been through.

Then I learned they were still at the shelter months later, waiting for a legal resolution before they could be adopted.

I knew I had to do something.

We couldn’t change their legal status.

We couldn’t promise them immediate homes.

But we could help them feel more comfortable, remove their badly matted fur, and give each one a name.

Catherine, Harry, Grace, Margaret, Belinda, Charlotte, and the others deserve to be known as more than numbers in a case.

They deserve families.

They deserve comfortable places to sleep.

And they deserve the chance to experience life beyond the shelter.

For now, that future is still uncertain.

But I’m grateful to Cameron, Mel, Cheryl, Kelly, and everyone who helped make this enormous grooming effort possible.

The transformations were incredible.

And I hope the next big moment in these dogs’ lives will be the one we’ve all been waiting for.

The day they’re finally allowed to go home.

Want updates on Catherine, Harry, and the other Cavaliers? Visit RockyKanaka.com/email to hear when there’s news about their adoption status.

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Also Read:Adopted After 100 Days..Then A Tornado Hit!

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Source: Nature