- Name – Keevil
- Age – 11
- Sex –Female
- Location – Essex
19th October 2026
I’ve just spent a wonderful few days having a mini staycation with Keevil and her foster family, but before we get into what a wonderful girl she is we have some sad news:-
Keevil had a quite a few follow up appointments following her surgery, as her wounds were weeping and needed a lot of attention to keep clean and sterile.
At Keevil’s final post op appointment, the news was mixed. Her wounds were healing well and thankfully the vet signed her off.
During her surgery we had a few calls from the vet. There were lumps also found in her mouth so the go ahead was given to remove these at the same time as her dental. Thankfully only 5 teeth were removed and the lumps in her mouth were benign, just fibrous.
There was also some concern about her spleen, it appeared to be a little inflamed so the vet carried out a scan. There was no mass to be seen, so potentially just an older lady inflammation.
The lumps removed from her back were also benign – yay the Keevil.
The huge mass on her shoulder however was sadly malignant. Now we know this had been there for a significant amount of time. We have managed to track down some previous vet records after doing a lot of investigation. We know the mass has been f=there for at least 2 years. The vet got good margins during removal, but there’s a chance of regrowth on the site, or elsewhere. Her lymph nodes must be monitored as well as watching for the lump coming back. It was the shoulder operation site which was causing Keevil the most distress, it is a massive incision, at least 5 inches long, and the growth went deep. It is still healing, but really does look very good.
Lots of antibiotics and love was given throughout the whole process…she’s such a wonderful girl and deserves the world after what she’s been through. Imagine being found roaming all alone; going into kennels for 7 days to await your fate; then get collected by two lovely ladies; get taken into a lovely home; then 3 days later going off to be operated on in 5 different areas…but you know what? After everything she has been through, Keevil has the biggest heart and all she wants is to be loved, she has the biggest eyes that look into your soul, a paw that reminds you she is there and would like some love, and a desire to roll her head in dead crab!
Keevil had a wonderful few days away, she went on a mini ferry ride; went to the beach and loved it; went to the pub and loved the treats; rummaged through the undergrowth and loved the smells; dug holes for bunnies and loved the challenge; decided recall was not her thing, because the scent is way too strong to pay attention to silly humans (unless you say chicken in your best Barbara Woodhouse voice, but even that’s hit and miss); watched ponies from afar; saw bike riders; walkers; other dogs; learnt to use a mobile phone; picked the winner of the raffle; AND had an undocumented amount of cuddles (oh and a bath, not sure she’s forgiven me for that one though). She took every single new situation in her stride, nothing phases this wonderful girl.
Truly a wonderful wonderful girl. A huge thank you to her foster mum for being so dedicated to Keevil during her surgery and her after care, and to everyone who has donated to her fund.
29th September 2026
⚠️ WARNING: DISTRESSING PHOTOS ⚠️
Keevil was a very brave girl today and went happily into the vets. ❤️
Unfortunately, she has managed to knock the scab off the huge sore on her shoulder, leaving a gaping wound that urgently needs attention.
The vet also had a good look at Keevil’s teeth and, as you can see, they are in an awful state — rotten, broken and badly worn down. This may well explain why Keevil hasn’t been enthusiastic about eating recently.
We don’t know whether the damage to her teeth has been caused by being kept in a cage and trying to get herself out, neglect, or simply a lack of veterinary treatment. What we do know is that this lovely girl is clearly in pain and desperately needs the care she has been missing for far too long. 💔
Keevil also has additional lumps on her back which need further investigation.
Tomorrow morning at 9.30am, Keevil will be back at the vets. We simply couldn’t leave her with such a huge wound on her side. As her foster mum said, it makes sense to deal with everything at the same time so Keevil only has to endure one anaesthetic and one surgery.
Tomorrow, Keevil will undergo surgery to:
🐾 Remove the additional lumps and send them away for testing
🐾 Treat and stitch the large wound on her side
🐾 Remove any teeth that are beyond saving
Her veterinary estimate is £1,807.36. We have already paid a deposit, leaving a balance of £1,140.22 (based on the estimates).
We really need as much help as possible for Keevil. ❤️
There are lots of ways you can support her:
💗 Share her post — every share helps
💗 Send Keevil some love and positive thoughts
💗 Donate towards her veterinary fund
💗 Buy a ticket for this month’s raffle, where you could win one of three fantastic holiday options
Every donation, no matter how small, will help us give Keevil the treatment she desperately needs.
For tonight, we just hope our brave girl manages to have a settled night. She has been quite unsettled, which is completely understandable. We don’t know how long she was a stray before spending her seven days in kennels, but it is clear that the problems she is facing have been there for a long time and have gone untreated.
Meanwhile, Keevil is trying her best to win over the resident hound.
Tomorrow is a big day for Keevil. Please keep this beautiful girl in your thoughts. ❤️🐾
Thank you to everyone who is helping her. Every share, donation and message of support means so much. ❤️
Support BRNGB: Donate to Help Rescued Basset Hounds
27th September 2026
Please give big welcome to Keevil. Some have you may have seen her plastered all over facebook as she was found as a stray and taken to kennels to await her 7 days.
Please note Keevil is under assessment and is not ready for adoption. Any enquiries regarding Keevil at this time will go unanswered.
We know very little about Keevil apart from she was found abandoned; she has waited for her 7 days to be claimed with all relevant enquires being made by the kennels. Sadly no-one claimed her. The kennels have said that Keevil is a lovely girl with a very sweet temperament.
We do have some vague, but distressing information from the kennels, which we will not be publishing, about how Keevil came to be with them, but it is a very sad tale.
Today she was collected by 2 of our wonderful volunteers and is now settling into a foster home. She will be at the vets on Tuesday. As you can see from the photos she has a nasty, large sore on her shoulder. The kennels did seek treatment for her by way of pain relief and antibiotics, but their hands are tied as to what investigations and/or treatment are carried out or given.
We are hoping that it is just a sore and will clear up…but until she has been fully examined we don’t know if it is something more sinister. Please keep everything crossed that it isn’t.
Not only does Keevil have the nasty sore on her shoulder, there are other lumps and bumps which appear to be causing her some pain and her teeth are just brown little stumps. She’s happy to mooch about and explore her new surroundings, and does otherwise appear to have been looked after in her previous life.
Keevil is now safe and being loved; hopefully feeling safe after being abandoned and left to fend for herself. We are grateful for the kennels for the care they have shown Keevil.
Keevil has arrived with nothing, just her name and a lot of love shown to her by our volunteers. If you are able to donate to her wish list please do so. If you would rather donate to her care, the link to do so is below.
We are also launching our Holiday Blues Buster raffle in honour of Keevil’s arrival where you can be in with the chance of winning one of three fabulous Holiday offers.
Support BRNGB: Donate to Help Rescued Basset Hounds
