Episode 5 Dick 'N' Dom Go Wild

Listen here! The following programme features trained professionals

working with potentially dangerous animals.

So do not - we repeat, do not - try this at home.

Did you know that now, right now,

there's people all around the country working their socks off

to help wounded wildlife and poorly pets?

And we've managed to get VIP passes for some willing helpers

who are going to get stuck in at the busiest vets, wildlife sanctuaries

-and rescue centres.

-We did it!

-On today's show...

-Chris and Ben head to an animal sanctuary,

but will the pigs prove to be too pongy?

Ugh... Anyone got a peg?

Natasha and Veronica find a new house for Ugg,

but will supper get the seal of approval?

Look at it!

-That is disgusting!

-Its head's come off.

And Dick's on an underwater mission to save some coral,

but how will he scrub up?

Ah! Coral.

Never mind that! I've got a wet bum now.

It's tough and dirty work...

..but someone's got to do it.

HE SCREAMS

I'm in the Northwest, visiting Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.

It's a huge animal shelter taking on all sorts of animals

from poorly pigs to horses who are - ahem - hoarse.

It's a tremendous task to take on,

but today they're going to have a helping hand.

Meet Ben and Chris.

They're football fanatics, but when it comes to furry things,

they're anything but fans.

-Miaow!

-Chris has a pet cat, but doesn't think it's cool.

You are a waste of time.

My cat's boring.

It just sits there all day, and if you give it some food,

it'll just go, "I don't want that," and then it'll carry on miaowing.

And Chris's mate Ben doesn't often hang out with his hamster.

I actually think that pets are selfish because you always see

these animals in the wild finding their own food,

but pets, they just expect their owners to throw food at them,

and that's it.

These pals seem to have lost touch with their pets. Hang on -

I have a cunning plan.

'Boys, follow me.' Ah! Ben, Chris, how you doing?

-Good.

-So tell me about your hamsters. Why don't you like them?

Er, I do like them, it's just I never clean them.

-So who does that, then?

-My mum.

-Charming. And you've got a cat, Chris?

-Yeah.

-Why don't you like it?

-I do like it, it's just that it's boring

and just sits there all day and just eats.

You know you're at an animal sanctuary

-and you'll be looking after animals?

-Yeah.

-You up for that?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Come on.

'Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Lancashire

'rehomes thousands of pets every year that have had

'a particularly poor time.

'Manager Neil Martin will be showing the boys the ropes.'

-Hello, Neil.

-Hello, Dick, how you doing?

-This is Ben and Chris.

-Hello, Ben. Hiya, Chris.

So we've got a surprise in store for them?

We've got something you weren't expecting.

SNORTING

-What do you think you'll find in there?

-Pigs?

'Er, yes, the big, hairy pigs in the pen were a bit of a giveaway.

'This is Tom and Molly, and they're kune kune pugs.'

Tom's the one with the big teeth.

At least they're not called Dick and Dom.

'It's a rare breed from New Zealand,

'and "kune kune" actually means "fat and round".

'But don't say we said so.'

-What have you got them doing today?

-We'll be cleaning them out.

'Will the boys be as happy as pigs in muck

'when they're mucking out the pigs later?

'First, let's see where Dom is planning to take his team.'

I'm at RSPCA West Hatch in Somerset.

This place looks after all sorts of injured, homeless and ill creatures.

They save hundreds of animals every single year,

so we thought we'd bring along two animal fanatics to help out.

Two animal fanatics that couldn't wait to get stuck in.

At least, I think they're animal fanatics.

Meet Natasha and Veronica, two girls who are on the ball.

Natasha's already got a few pets in her squad.

I have two dogs, three cats

and several fish.

And although they like their pets, British wildlife gets the red card.

I don't like birds or badgers or squirrels.

As far as the girls are concerned, all wild animals do is hang around.

They don't do very much in their life,

because they're born, they eat, sleep, poop, give birth

and then they die and it starts all over again.

Hmm. Maybe a shift at a busy wildlife rescue centre

might get our girls

'gushing over Great British wildlife. Only one way to find out.'

Ah, Natasha, Veronica. How are you? All right?

-Hello.

-Welcome. Listen, we've done our research on you two,

and we've found that you LOVE British wildlife.

You love it! Don't you?

-You can't wait to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.

-No...

No? OK, yes.

OK, well, that's why we brought you here to West Hatch,

to try and get you enthusiastic about British wildlife.

-You want to do that?

-Yeah!

So, it's a quick costume change for Natasha and Veronica,

but there's no time for messing around as we need to catch a swan

who may well be getting released back into the wild.

So, what are doing here?

We've got one swan we hope is ready for release,

so we're hoping that when we grab him

and our vet will have a look

that he's OK to go for release and we can take him

and put him back where he's meant to be.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rewind.

So we've got to go in there and chase and pin down a swan?

Oh, yeah.

'Swans are one of the biggest flying birds on the planet,

'so it's no surprise that Veronica isn't sure this is the best idea.'

-You don't like swans?

-No.

-Why not?

-They chase you.

-I promise they won't.

'Well, we certainly wouldn't advise you to even approach a swan.

'We have professional support on hand.'

I feel not so scared because I'm with someone

that knows what they're doing.

-Of course - moi. Oh! Sorry, yes, of course.

-Me!

'All the swans here have been rescued,

'but only one is well enough to be released today.'

Let's go wrangle a swan.

'Our big bird is wearing a numbered tag.

'Natasha is the first to get a sighting.'

-DH9!

-Yeah.

-There it is!

-Seen it?

-Yes, I've seen it!

It's the one... That one there!

'Great spot, Natasha!'

-This one, yeah?

-Yeah, that one.

Wow, well done.

'This swan's had a rough time of it recently.

'It got fishing tackle tangled in its throat.

'Luckily, it was picked up and brought here.'

-There you go. Ever seen anything like that before?

-No.

'The girls' help is edging it back to freedom.

'Later, will Natasha and Veronica be able to finish the job

'and get the swan returned to the wild?'

'Meanwhile, in Lancashire, Ben and Chris are getting kitted up

'to kune kune piggy plops. It's about to get mucky.'

Right, Chris. I'll do the first one and then you can do the rest, OK?

We don't want to shift the straw, but we do want to shift the muck.

-Ugh!

-'Try to keep that breakfast down!'

There you go! Off you go.

'Pigs have a bad reputation for being dirty,

'but it turns out they're quite choosy about where they poo.'

Have you noticed the muck's in this corner?

-They use this corner as a toilet.

-Cat poo smells worse than this.

'Surprise, surprise, Chris prefers the pigs to his cat.

'But on his cleaning debut, Ben is feeling pig sick.'

Ugh! Anyone got a peg?

'I wouldn't want to do that without gloves on!'

Nearly done?

'And they're even happy to get their hands - well, gloves - dirty.'

-That's cheating!

-Oh, come on!

'The cleaning's done. The poo goes in the bin.'

Careful you don't spill it, or you'll have to pick it up again.

-Tip it in. That's it.

-Yes!

-Well done.

'It's time to fill up the pigs so they can mess the place up again.'

-So, are we going to feed them?

-You are going to feed them.

-Yes!

'Pigs are omnivores, which means that they eat all sorts,

'but what they love is...'

Apples!

Come here!

He won't bite you.

'These piggies adore apples.'

-Tom!

-Come on, Tom!

'Well, they do when they can find them.'

'Well done. You've certainly made yourself popular at the pig house.'

'But how will Ben and Chris cope with the job of finding a new home

'for Benny the cat?'

What do you think about cats now?

-Cute.

-I like them now.

'Veronica and Natasha, two girls who aren't so wild about wildlife,

'are over in Somerset checking on a swan to see

'if they can return back to where it belongs.

'First, a quick once-over on the wings.'

GIRLS: Whoa!

They're beautiful.

I'm going to have a wee look inside his beak, because that's where

the hook was stuck and I want to make sure there's no damage.

See his funny tongue? See how rough his tongue is?

It's got loads of teeth on it.

-Weird.

-Back to normal?

-Yeah, that's good.

If you could note down that his mouth looks good now

and say that his feathers are nice.

'Nice one! Looks like this swan is heading back to where it belongs -

'out in the wild.'

-Beak normal.

-Beak normal. Sounds good.

'A few notes to be taken first... And he's ready to go.'

Girls, you've done a great job so far.

I'm going to let Ellie take you guys and the swan

in a car to get it released. OK?

-Yeah.

-All right. Good luck.

Excellent. Ready?

That's it. Lovely.

'A quick ride in the van, and the girls arrive at the river

'where the swan can be set free.'

This is the perfect place. Obviously,

this is where he was found, anyway, so he's back home.

-Do you think he recognises it here?

-He probably does,

-because he's started calling.

-Yeah.

SWAN CROAKS

And if I unwrap him, hopefully...

he'll be pleased to go.

Oop!

'And yes, he looks chuffed to be out of the bag

'and into the big, wide world.'

Whoa. Wow.

You can see he's quite happy up there now, isn't he?

-Yeah.

-Happy to be home.

'Amazing stuff. A perfect release back to the open water,

'and the swan swims free again. Top job, girls.

'But will the girls make a splash when it comes to

'bath time for a dog who's had a dreadful time?'

-I've never bathed a dog.

-Never done it?

-No.

'But first, it's time we saved the world

'with a spot of cleaning.'

Ah! Fishy!

Right. Time for you to help an animal in distress.

I know, and I'm very much up for it.

This is a problem of world importance.

Give me tools, and I'll get on with the job.

Yeah.

A scrubbing brush?

I'll explain more. Go and get your kit on. Come on!

So, why is this so important?

Coral reefs are under threat from pollution,

and here at the Sea Life Centre, they regenerate it

and they breed it, which is very important,

because in 40 years' time, coral could be extinct,

so very important to keep it in tip-top condition,

which is your job.

So, you go in there with your scrubbing brush

and give it a really good scrubbing.

I'll do the important job of telling you which bits you missed out, yes?

-Agh!

-Cold?

-No.

-OK. Now, get scrubbing.

'What I'm not telling my old friend is that

'this coral is actually made of plastic.

'Real coral would get damaged if you touched it,

'especially if you scrubbed it like that!

'That's why they keep it in a different tank.'

-Scrub it!

-All right!

'Real coral is pretty amazing stuff. It is, in fact, thousands of little

'tiny animals a bit like jellyfish.

'They attach themselves to each other and grow into huge reefs

'so big that you can see them from space.

'Of course, I probably could tell him...but I won't.'

-I'm done.

-We need to get you out of there.

-I'm a bit worried about you.

-What about? Stingrays?

No, no, no. I'm actually worried about the coral.

Coral eats brainless floating organism...

I'm surprised you made it in one piece.

Coral...

-Never mind that, I've got a wet bum now!

-Huh?

'Over at the animal sanctuary, Chris and Ben

'are about to meet some pussycats who haven't had much to purr about.'

Come on in.

We're going to try and change your mind about cats.

'The first cat to make their acquaintance is Bullseye, who's had

'a miserable time of it.'

Would he win your heart if I told you he was shot by an air gun

and had a pellet in him?

Aw, that's well tight! Who did that?

Well, we don't know who did it -

he wants to get down now, he's had enough -

but we operated on him to take the pellet out, and he's OK now.

'Chris wasn't bothered about cats before coming here,

'but Bullseye's sad tale is hitting home.'

It makes me feel tight that I think my cat's boring

when there's cats out there getting shot like that one.

'And Ben is about to find out that Bullseye's story gets even sadder.'

Why are these cats in a different cage?

They have a condition called FIV. If they were to get something

such as a cold, it would be a lot more serious for them.

It could be very serious.

If they were in a cage with the other cats,

they could spread it, and we don't want that to happen.

'FIV is a virus that cats can catch, usually from fighting each other.

'They can't pass it on to humans, but it can't be cured.

'Thankfully, most cats with FIV can live happily for years

'as house cats.'

Right, he's just round this corner.

'Here in the main building, there is one moggy

'who may be heading for a new home,

'but only if the vet says he's fit to go.'

OK, this is our Benny.

Why does he have to be checked?

We want to make sure that he's not got a tiny little infection.

It doesn't need to be much with an FIV cat to be very serious.

Hang on a minute. Is Chris being moved by this moggy?

Come on. Ch-ch-ch. Tk-tk.

I'm not sure it wants to be moved by Chris!

Come on, Benny. Don't go back there. Come to me.

I'll get him out.

-Are you ready with that lid?

-Yeah.

OK, that's it. Close the lid.

-He's heavy, isn't he?

-Yeah, he is.

-OK, down these steps to the vet.

If vet Sean says he's well enough,

Benny will be on his way to join a new family.

Hi, fellas... You all right?

Come on, Benny, let's have a look at you.

Up you come.

If you can hang onto him just there for me

and we can... You can feel his heart going.

If you put your hand on your chest next time you go to the dentist,

it will do the same thing. You can see his ears are nice and clean.

Is his teeth OK?

His teeth aren't too bad, at all. He's looking pretty good, there.

Great! Benny comes through his health check with flying colours.

He's got his clean bill of health now,

so we'll get out to his new home. I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy it out there.

So, Benny's ready for a new home.

The big question is,

"Have they been won over by the cats they have met?"

What do you think about cats now?

-Eh...cute.

-I like them now.

-Are they still boring?

-No. No, they're not, but my cat is!

Ha-ha-ha! Chris! Still, Benny's new owner is totally besotted with him.

-Hiya, Carla.

-Hello.

-Here he is. That's our pal, Benny.

Will Chris finally see that all cats are cute,

-when they have to play mum to Batman the kitten?

-I can feel the milk

going down his throat.

'Veronica and Natasha are being won over by wildlife

'at a busy animal rescue centre in Somerset.'

Look at that!

'And there's a poorly dog that needs their help.'

This is Teddy Bear.

Teddy Bear is gorgeous, but there is one obvious problem.

She's lost her fur, unfortunately.

'Life is anything but a picnic for seven-year-old Teddy Bear.

'She was neglected by her previous owners and is covered in fleas.

'Veronica and Natasha will need to be extra nice

'to this poor little pooch.'

We're hoping that the girls can help us to bath her today.

I've never ever bathed a dog.

-You've never done it?

-No.

-Girls, it's bath time! Are you up for that?

-Yes!

-Good.

-Right, which one of you wants to get her wet?

-I would.

-Teddy is soon getting a soaking.

-Some more up here... Well done!

Good girl.

The shampoo will help kill the fleas and soon Teddy Bear's coat

-should grow back beautifully.

-She's very good, isn't she?

-Yes!

A very sensible dog.

But, what goes on must come off and Teddy tries to give Natasha

-a shower of her own!

-Oop!

Once the medication has stayed on long enough

to have effect, the girls set to work, giving her a rinse.

Have a good rub underneath her collar,

cos that's where it gets stuck - all up underneath the collar.

That's it. Well done.

If you girls can give her a really good rub-down. That's it.

Try and get all that wet off.

Ooh, yeah, Teddy. Doesn't that feel nice?

There's a good girl, Teddy!

We can let her have a bit of a run round, so you can unclick her.

Teddy's just going to have to be a bit patient before her coat

-returns to its best.

-Come on... Teddy!

So, have you enjoyed doing that?

BOTH: Yes.

-I'd never bathed a dog.

-Hadn't you? So it's the first time?

-Yeah.

Perfect! That's what we like to hear.

Come on! Teddy!

Well, the girls have got Teddy Bear dry again, but will they get

the seal of approval when it comes to moving a pup to a new pool?

It's a seal! Oh!

It's so sweet!

-He-he-he!

-'Result!

'It looks like Dick's

'way off target, as usual,'

as we investigate archer fish.

What are you doing?

I'm trying to get me lunch.

Oh, I see... You're trying to be like an archer fish.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can see why you're doing that. They're amazing.

They've got binocular vision and special little mouths that can

shoot water out up to two metres away to stun their prey,

which includes spiders, grasshoppers, butterflies.

Very good, yes. Why don't you just give up?

You are never going to get this sandwich by doing that.

Well done. You did that and you've got your sandwich.

'It's rude and immature to spit water, even if it is bottled.'

Ben and Chris are at a busy animal sanctuary in Lancashire.

Up until today, they haven't been bothered about cats,

so it's time to unleash a secret weapon...

-Batman, the cute little kitten.

-Oh!

-Gorgeous.

Five-week-old Batman doesn't have a mum,

so needs help doing things

that she would have taken care of, like feeding him milk.

-You pick him up.

-Hello.

That's where the boys come in.

-They're assisting head of cat section, Fleur.

-First of all,

what we need to do is to make him go to the toilet.

So, we are going to use a little bit of cotton wool

around his bottom area and rub gently, to make him wee.

Then he can have his bottle.

So, he's got to go to the loo before he eats.

'I'd better investigate.'

Hi, how's it going, boys?

BOTH: All right.

-Yes, check that out.

-Cute.

-That's small, isn't it?

'Still, he's a little cutey. What a magic moment.'

We need to feed it some milk, because it doesn't have a mother.

But first it needs to poo and wee.

What would usually happen is mum would lick down the bum area...

STYLUS SCRATCHES

'Mum would do what?!'

Eugh!

On his bottom. That's...

'Poor Batman just wants to use the toilet and have some milk.'

It's his fault!

# That's not my name

# That's not my name. #

I don't think I can do it.

"I don't think I can do it"!

'Fleur's had enough and eventually whips the boys into action.'

Right.

What you are going to do is tilt him onto his back slightly.

You need to rub quite firm.

'Because Batman doesn't have a mum, the boys are helping

'him to go the toilet, like she would.

'She would just use her tongue, instead of cotton wool.'

-There you go.

-What, has she peed?

-Yeah.

-Eugh.

'Mission accomplished.'

Lovely. I think we're about done there now.

'Now it's milk time, which is warmed up in hot water.

'But it needs to be tested before giving it to Batman.'

Mmm!

'Of course, that is, tested for temperature - not taste!'

-What kind of milk is that?

-It's not good.

-It's cat milk.

-Eugh.

Excuse me a minute.

'For the record, it's horrible and isn't meant to be drunk by humans.

'Finally, Batman gets his milk, bottle fed by Ben and Chris,

'who now lurve cats.'

-It's cute.

-In it goes.

'And Batman definitely seems to be enjoying it.'

-Good job.

-I could feel the milk going down his throat.

-So, boys, you had a good day?

-Yeah, it was good.

The funniest part was this. The most challenging part was the pigs.

-Which bit did you enjoy most?

-Erm, probably this bit.

-Yeah?

-Did you have a good day?

-Me?

-Yes.

-Lots of hilarity.

Cheers, boys. You've been spot on. Will you look after your cat?

-Yes.

-And look after your hamsters?

-Yeah.

-Yes!

Veronica and Natasha are at an animal rescue centre

and coming around to the idea

that British animals are worth caring about.

Time to make a splash, with a very special patient.

Girls, we have got one more task for you

and I think you will be really excited when you see what it is.

-In a good way?

-Yes, good way.

-Are we ready?

-BOTH: Yes.

OK, we are going all the way down to the end of this corridor.

-What's the number on it?

-Eh, I think we're going to pool number eight.

-Pool?

-Yes.

-Oh, my gosh.

You can just see it down there.

Oh, my... It's a seal!

Oh...!

It's so sweet.

Is she here because she is hurt or is she just here?

She was found on a beach, which isn't unusual, but she did have

quite a lot of wounds on her.

She had a really nasty wound under her chin,

but now all those wounds are fine and she's a nice healthy seal pup.

I think she's ready to go to a new pool, isn't she?

Yes!

Ugg the seal is ready to leave her indoor accommodation

and Veronica and Natasha are upgrading her to a bigger,

posher pool outside.

But first, Ugg needs to get into that cage.

Are you going to go that way?

Hmm, not entirely sure she's up for the outside...

GROWLING

Ugg is so weird!

Eddie steps in.

UGG GROWLS

-Do you get scared doing that?

-Not really. We deal with lots of seals.

They have got a lot of very, sharp teeth, so we do have to be careful.

And there's plenty of room

for Ugg to have fun here in a new outdoor pool.

Now, then, what's going on here? What have you girls been doing?

-We're releasing this seal back into a bigger pool.

-Wonderful.

'But she isn't playing ball - again.'

-She's gone to sleep!

-You're joking.

What do you do now?

Hello, sleepy head.

There's a big pool here. Lots of water.

UGG GROWLS

-Not happy about that

-Sure she's still awake?

-Do you think she needs a bit of encouragement?

-You might be right.

'Oi, you! Get out of bed!'

Oh... I'm going back in.

EXAGGERATED SNORING

We're not doing that well.

Oop...

Oh, she's coming out.

'Finally, Ugg decides to nose her way

'slowly out.'

Yes. Come on, come on, come on.

Yes!

Yah!

Absolutely gorgeous.

Hey, well done.

-Seems quite happy, doesn't she?

-Yeah.

-How does that feel for you guys?

-I've never felt anything like it.

Aren't you gorgeous?

'The move has been a great success and thanks to Veronica and Natasha,

'Ugg, the orphan seal pup

'is enjoying her first day outside since being rescued.'

'Ugg will need to put on some more weight

'before she can be released back into the wild.'

Someone knows there is food about.

'Before saying goodbye, the girls get a chance to give

her some, mmm, fishy treats.

-That is disgusting!

-Its head's come off.

-Look at it!

-Eugh!

-It's hanging by a thread.

Right, well, all our hands stink of mackerel,

so before we go and wash, what did you think of today?

-It's been absolutely amazing.

-Brilliant.

-What was the best part?

-Feeding the seal and seeing it go into the pool.

-Good.

After today, are you interested in British wildlife?

-BOTH: Yes.

-Good.

'Hurrah, so that's two girls who weren't so wild about wildlife,

'who are now best friends with one Britain's brilliant creatures.

-'Good work, girls!'

-Hello!

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