:00:00. > :00:10.We donate millions of pounds to the people rescuing unwanted
:00:11. > :00:15.But, as Christmas approaches, how do we know the animals
:00:16. > :00:18.in every sanctuary are being looked after properly?
:00:19. > :00:20.When you go in and find a new rabbit dead...
:00:21. > :00:22.It was just absolutely heartbreaking.
:00:23. > :00:26.After concerns are raised about one animal rescue centre,
:00:27. > :00:42.And a leading vet gives us his opinion.
:00:43. > :00:44.Would you be happy taking an animal there?
:00:45. > :00:51.Tonight we ask, can you have faith in your local animal rescue?
:00:52. > :00:55.There's a limit to what the RSPCA can do and the scale is such
:00:56. > :01:18.It's the start of the day at this rescue centre in Newport.
:01:19. > :01:20.Breakfast time for the animals in its care.
:01:21. > :01:25.You have to make it nice for them, don't you?
:01:26. > :01:29.This is one of what's believed to be 268 sanctuaries in Wales that take
:01:30. > :01:37.in stray or unwanted animals and help find them new homes.
:01:38. > :01:40.Some of these centres are names most of us will have heard of,
:01:41. > :01:45.big charities like the RSPCA and Dog's Trust...
:01:46. > :01:47.Someone's going to get an amazing cat with her.
:01:48. > :01:50...but in every corner of Wales, there are sanctuaries,
:01:51. > :01:53.many going unnoticed, which claim they're also making
:01:54. > :02:08.Many of them are, but with some, it's less clear.
:02:09. > :02:14.Jackie Taylor, from Wrexham, has looked after rabbits all her life.
:02:15. > :02:18.She volunteered at her local sanctuary for eight years.
:02:19. > :02:19.I really enjoyed it at the beginning.
:02:20. > :02:26.I would just go in and walk the dogs and the volunteers seemed nice.
:02:27. > :02:29.Jackie started looking after the rabbits there,
:02:30. > :02:31.and as the years passed and more animals were taken on,
:02:32. > :02:37.Probably part way through when you realised that
:02:38. > :02:42.you were reporting things and nothing was getting done.
:02:43. > :02:45.The fact that the place was dirty and in a state.
:02:46. > :02:54.but the absolute disregard for animals dying.
:02:55. > :03:01.The sanctuary Jackie volunteered at is Capricorn Animal Rescue,
:03:02. > :03:06.It's popular and last year brought in a quarter of a million pounds
:03:07. > :03:12.They look after approximately 350 animals,
:03:13. > :03:15.from cats, dogs and rabbits to reptiles, birds
:03:16. > :03:25.We're absolutely overflowing with animals.
:03:26. > :03:27.The charity's founder, Sheila Stewart, runs it with her son
:03:28. > :03:29.and regularly promotes the work she's doing
:03:30. > :03:38.Sanctuaries like Capricorn aren't regulated.
:03:39. > :03:41.Boarding kennels like this need a license because they're governed
:03:42. > :03:47.So too are breeders, and, come to mention it, circuses.
:03:48. > :03:49.As for sanctuaries, well, the act doesn't cover them
:03:50. > :03:57.All 268 sanctuaries in Wales, and many more across the UK,
:03:58. > :04:04.And this can sometimes be the result.
:04:05. > :04:06.In October this year, the owner of the Second Chance
:04:07. > :04:09.Horse Rescue Centre in Cornwall, was banned from keeping
:04:10. > :04:16.You have sanctuaries where unfortunately by the time
:04:17. > :04:19.we or the local authority go in we're talking about dead
:04:20. > :04:23.and dying, we're talking about very severe suffering.
:04:24. > :04:27.Claire Lawson from the RSPCA says that when animals are dead or dying
:04:28. > :04:32.But she believes there.s a hidden problem.
:04:33. > :04:35.The number of sanctuaries that we visit
:04:36. > :04:37.on a regular basis where there are problems,
:04:38. > :04:38.suggests the problem is relatively deep.
:04:39. > :04:40.Maybe a visit helps them raise the standards
:04:41. > :04:43.slightly but it's going back and back again and it's a tremendous
:04:44. > :04:53.And the resources of other animal welfare resources.
:04:54. > :04:58.as you see it of animal sanctuaries around Wales - how great is it?
:04:59. > :05:00.It's significant enough to be talking to you about asking
:05:01. > :05:03.for regulation and we've been campaigning hard for that.
:05:04. > :05:05.There's a limit to what the RSPCA can do
:05:06. > :05:07.and the scale is such that we are concerned.
:05:08. > :05:09.The RSPCA says under existing law, it's very difficult
:05:10. > :05:13.And that if sanctuaries were licensed,
:05:14. > :05:21.And it's not just a problem for the RSPCA.
:05:22. > :05:24.Alison Ling works for a sanctuary that runs a network of foster homes
:05:25. > :05:29.in South Wales for people to take in unwanted dogs.
:05:30. > :05:31.She's had to deal with the consequences of poor conditions
:05:32. > :05:39.We had one dog that came in to us who had been kept
:05:40. > :05:43.stacked on top of other dogs, also in crates.
:05:44. > :05:47.We did manage to get her into a foster home
:05:48. > :05:49.who later adopted her but she was traumatised.
:05:50. > :05:50.And this was in a so-called sanctuary?
:05:51. > :05:54.There are a lot of dogs out there in these tiny rescues.
:05:55. > :05:57.No-one really has an idea of how many dogs are there
:05:58. > :05:58.and no-one really knows what standards
:05:59. > :06:01.the rescues are maintaining and it's only when we get called in
:06:02. > :06:04.to help and pick up the pieces that we see how bad
:06:05. > :06:08.In North Wales, former volunteers at Capricorn Animal Rescue have been
:06:09. > :06:14.Many say they were banned from the sanctuary
:06:15. > :06:19.A petition was also set up showing more than 2,000 signatures,
:06:20. > :06:22.and a website claims to expose the "Hidden Truth" of
:06:23. > :06:31.One of the volunteers who raised concerns is Vikki Savage.
:06:32. > :06:35.She started at Capricorn in June 2014 and says she noticed very
:06:36. > :06:42.They were having people cleaning the cattery out and they weren't
:06:43. > :06:45.using any disinfectant to clean the litter trays.
:06:46. > :06:48.So obviously if there's five cats in a pen
:06:49. > :06:52.if you're not keeping on top of the cleaning regime,
:06:53. > :06:54.that's going to spread right through the lot of them.
:06:55. > :06:57.So then we started seeing cats becoming sick and cats disappearing
:06:58. > :07:00.and sometimes we were told that they were homed,
:07:01. > :07:03.but we'd find out later that they'd died.
:07:04. > :07:07.I realised that we were telling people that it was bad,
:07:08. > :07:09.they were shaking their heads and saying,
:07:10. > :07:14."We don't really believe you," so I started taking photographs.
:07:15. > :07:18.Vikki says she found this cat in one of the pens in the cattery.
:07:19. > :07:22.It was dead, and volunteers believe it was there for some time
:07:23. > :07:28.When you go in and find a new rabbit dead...
:07:29. > :07:29.It was just absolutely heartbreaking.
:07:30. > :07:34.We were finding two, three or four a week, dead.
:07:35. > :07:36.Vikki says she often told Mrs Stewart she had
:07:37. > :07:40.concerns about the welfare of the sanctuary's animals.
:07:41. > :07:45."I've done this for 30 years, I know what I'm doing."
:07:46. > :07:48.Volunteers we've spoken to say the public wouldn't be able to spot
:07:49. > :07:51.some of the alleged welfare problems at Capricorn
:07:52. > :08:07.So we decided to send in a volunteer undercover to investigate.
:08:08. > :08:09.So I met Sheila and she vaguely guided me around
:08:10. > :08:18.But mid-tour, I was sort of left to my own devices.
:08:19. > :08:22.Our volunteer hasn't been given an induction or any formal training.
:08:23. > :08:26.Despite this, she's asked to get started in the cattery.
:08:27. > :08:28.I spent quite a lot of time cleaning them out
:08:29. > :08:33.and feeding them and making sure that their trays were clean.
:08:34. > :08:42.We were washing bowls from each of the cat pens
:08:43. > :08:45.And some of them were covered in faeces
:08:46. > :08:55.and we were still washing other cats' bowls in it.
:08:56. > :08:59.which is a small room at the end of the pens...
:09:00. > :09:09.Our volunteer is also told to sanitise her hands between cages,
:09:10. > :09:17.The cattery's isolation room appears to house a mixture
:09:18. > :09:22.of poorly adult cats and litters of kittens.
:09:23. > :09:34.Their eyes looked weepy and they were climbing in their own mess.
:09:35. > :09:37.Their paws were wet and damp with urine,
:09:38. > :09:42.their stomachs were clumpy and wet with urine also.
:09:43. > :09:49.There was one particular cat that I was told by Sheila
:09:50. > :09:55.and the volunteer that it had starved almost to death.
:09:56. > :10:01.and I realised its water bowl was empty.
:10:02. > :10:07.When I filled it up, the cat drank and drank and drank.
:10:08. > :10:14.It's taken our volunteer and another four hours to clean out and feed
:10:15. > :10:21.There appear to be around 350 animals at the rescue,
:10:22. > :10:25.and few helpers or staff when our volunteer's there.
:10:26. > :10:31.Basically, throughout the day it was me, Sheila, one volunteer,
:10:32. > :10:41.Back at the RSPCA's own rescue centre in Newport,
:10:42. > :10:47.These are all the dogs that we care for who are up for rehoming
:10:48. > :10:51.Kirsty Morgan is one of five staff at the sanctuary today
:10:52. > :11:00.there aren't any laws governing this place,
:11:01. > :11:07.but here they have drawn up their own strict standards.
:11:08. > :11:10.So this is our isolation of the cattery so this
:11:11. > :11:14.is where any poorly cats, they stay in here so that none
:11:15. > :11:17.of the healthy cats get any illnesses as well.
:11:18. > :11:20.It could be that they've got diarrhoea, it could be that they're
:11:21. > :11:24.sneezing so we try and keep them in one area.
:11:25. > :11:27.It's just the same, as you can see, for all the cats in our rehoming.
:11:28. > :11:32.They still have their water bowl and bedding and as you can see,
:11:33. > :11:36.they still have all their toys and everything in there
:11:37. > :11:41.And isolation means isolation, they're kept apart from other cats?
:11:42. > :11:45.Animal welfare should be at the heart of every good
:11:46. > :11:49.sanctuary, but the RSPCA and other rescue centres in Wales
:11:50. > :11:54.say some are falling below expected standards.
:11:55. > :12:00.particularly when you've got a range of species and a range of situations
:12:01. > :12:03.that animals that found themselves in that need specialist care.
:12:04. > :12:06.Are there people out there that are running animal sanctuaries that
:12:07. > :12:10.It's difficult to quantify but we know there are some
:12:11. > :12:12.sanctuaries that are not running at the standard
:12:13. > :12:18.that we would like and that is why we are asking for regulation.
:12:19. > :12:22.At his surgery in Merthyr, vet Mike Jessop is doing the rounds
:12:23. > :12:27.So, what do we think is wrong with him?
:12:28. > :12:29.He ate some of his bedding on Monday.
:12:30. > :12:35.and is often called as an expert witness in animal welfare cases.
:12:36. > :12:43.Are they cleaned properly, signs of contamination with faeces,
:12:44. > :12:48.Those are things I would be looking at from welfare position.
:12:49. > :12:52.People might say people are doing their best to give
:12:53. > :12:59.The whole point of animal rescue centre
:13:00. > :13:01.is to rescue animals from poor welfare.
:13:02. > :13:04.If you're putting those animals back into poor welfare
:13:05. > :13:08.then you're not rescuing them, actually prolonging their suffering.
:13:09. > :13:21.Back at Capricorn, how are the animals faring?
:13:22. > :13:25.The kittens appear to be dirty again.
:13:26. > :13:30.our volunteer is rarely given instructions.
:13:31. > :13:33.But she checks on areas she hasn't been asked to cover and regularly
:13:34. > :13:45.And there's no water left in this one.
:13:46. > :13:56.We can't be sure how long these rabbits have
:13:57. > :13:58.been left without water, but when our volunteer
:13:59. > :14:01.pours some in a bowl, the rabbits crowd around
:14:02. > :14:12.I'd seen them a day before and they didn't have any water.
:14:13. > :14:16.When I went today, I gave them water and they just drank
:14:17. > :14:18.and drank and drank, so much so I had to
:14:19. > :14:25.I'll fill it all the way to the top.
:14:26. > :14:29.The chickens drank for eight minutes.
:14:30. > :14:33.More kittens are kept inside the house.
:14:34. > :14:35.And the litter of six we saw in the isolation
:14:36. > :14:41.room are getting a bath, in Mrs Stewart's kitchen.
:14:42. > :14:47.Anyone who's got an empty pair of hands gets a kitten flung into it.
:14:48. > :14:50.It's the afternoon and it looks like the litter trays are full
:14:51. > :14:56.Some of the pens inside the main cattery also appear dirty.
:14:57. > :15:00.In one of them, there are pools of diarrhoea.
:15:01. > :15:04.Our volunteer was asked to clean out and feed all 60 cats in the cattery
:15:05. > :15:08.but she only had two hours, so at the end of the day she lets
:15:09. > :15:11.Mrs Stewart know some pens haven't been cleaned including the one
:15:12. > :15:17.I've almost finished the cats, the two last pens
:15:18. > :15:27.I'm back at Mike Jessop's surgery, to get his opinion on what we've
:15:28. > :15:36.These kittens should have somewhere to hide,
:15:37. > :15:40.huddling together is their only defensive mechanism, and they should
:15:41. > :15:45.have an area they can crawl into and feel more secure.
:15:46. > :15:51.That makes them more prone to infection and more difficult
:15:52. > :15:58.All six appeared to have wet legs and stomachs.
:15:59. > :16:01.It looks to me like that might be a diarrhoea,
:16:02. > :16:05.soiling around back end is usually indicative of that.
:16:06. > :16:07.I would expect kittens with that sort of problem
:16:08. > :16:17.We're also seeing cats in there squinting.
:16:18. > :16:21.High risk of conjunctivitis, and conjunctivitis in kittens
:16:22. > :16:25.immediately raise the spectre of cat flu.
:16:26. > :16:28.Mrs Stewart told us the kittens were washed every day and seen
:16:29. > :16:33.She also said the cages in the isolation room were adequate
:16:34. > :16:37.for the temporary housing of cats and had been approved by her vet
:16:38. > :16:48.What does Mike think of the rest of the cattery?
:16:49. > :16:54.I don't like setup of these cats in such heavy concentration.
:16:55. > :17:03.There are at least four or five allocated to each zone.
:17:04. > :17:09.I would be a little bit nervous about two cats per set up here.
:17:10. > :17:14.That's an awful lot for these poor cats.
:17:15. > :17:17.They've been forced to toilet on top of toilet,
:17:18. > :17:26.That will be really stressful for them.
:17:27. > :17:30.To be that thirsty is very unusual and to almost mob the water bowl
:17:31. > :17:35.as they're doing would cause me great concern that they're
:17:36. > :17:37.not getting access to sufficient fresh water.
:17:38. > :17:46.How considerable are concerns you might raise about this place?
:17:47. > :17:51.Some of the lack of water is truly concerning,
:17:52. > :17:54.I would be very worried about the fact these animals weren't
:17:55. > :17:56.having regular access to water and also aren't
:17:57. > :18:05.Those are key areas bother me with footage I've seen.
:18:06. > :18:07.Mrs Stewart claims the rabbits are given water every morning
:18:08. > :18:12.and volunteers top this water up during the day.
:18:13. > :18:15.She says the shared cat area was cleaned on the day we filmed it
:18:16. > :18:22.and that some of the cats in there don't use the litter trays.
:18:23. > :18:28.She also says the chickens are checked twice a day.
:18:29. > :18:31.Many sanctuaries, including Capricorn, are also charities,
:18:32. > :18:42.so they have trustees who should be overseeing their activities.
:18:43. > :18:45.Vikki and another volunteer, Dan Rose, were members of Capricorn
:18:46. > :18:48.and last year they decided to become trustees.
:18:49. > :18:53.This meant they could access the charity's records.
:18:54. > :18:59.That rescue is ten minutes down the road and I can't sleep,
:19:00. > :19:06.The more and more we got into it, the more and more we realised
:19:07. > :19:10.there were a lot more problems than initially anticipated.
:19:11. > :19:15.We wanted the bank account details we wanted all of the accounts.
:19:16. > :19:20.The charity raised ?250,000 last year.
:19:21. > :19:23.So that is, that's a hell of a lot of money.
:19:24. > :19:25.It came to a head after they confronted Mrs Stewart
:19:26. > :19:31.In December last year Vikki, Dan and ten other volunteers
:19:32. > :19:38.We'd only been there about 20 minutes, half an hour,
:19:39. > :19:41.a load of police cars pulled up with blue lights flashing.
:19:42. > :19:45.And twelve or thirteen volunteers were removed that day.
:19:46. > :19:48.Dan and Vikki were later sent letters from a new set of trustees,
:19:49. > :19:54.which included Mrs Stewart, revoking their membership.
:19:55. > :19:58.Mrs Stewart says some volunteers were fraudulently posing as trustees
:19:59. > :20:01.and the police were called because they were disrupting
:20:02. > :20:09.Former volunteers say they also raised concerns about animal
:20:10. > :20:17.I don't think that the RSPCA have done enough.
:20:18. > :20:20.They've been given videos of the conditions that the animals
:20:21. > :20:24.were living in, they've been given photographs of the conditions
:20:25. > :20:27.that the animals were living in, and it's over a long period of time
:20:28. > :20:31.that these photographs and the information flow was there.
:20:32. > :20:43.The RSPCA insists it does act on concerns,
:20:44. > :20:47.but under the existing law it can only go so far.
:20:48. > :20:50.If someone raises a concern you must understand their frustration that
:20:51. > :20:53.nothing much appears to be happening?
:20:54. > :20:56.Of course, and we share those frustrations hence why it is that
:20:57. > :21:01.there's such a need for regulations so we can act, as a society
:21:02. > :21:11.we can act when there's a failing in a sanctuary.
:21:12. > :21:15.There are only two kittens in here today.
:21:16. > :21:18.It's the sixth day our volunteer has seen the kittens and they're once
:21:19. > :21:24.Our volunteer starts to clean the rest of the cattery,
:21:25. > :21:29.and discovers it's even dirtier than before.
:21:30. > :21:46.As she goes into one pen she finds a cat she thinks is sleeping.
:21:47. > :22:04.It's all right, I'll put him in a bin bag and take him
:22:05. > :22:20.Four of the kittens are now missing from the litter of six,
:22:21. > :22:36.It's the next day, and as our volunteer walks into the sanctuary
:22:37. > :22:43.she sees RSPCA officers are here on an unannounced visit.
:22:44. > :22:47.They've left behind an improvement notice, which the RSPCA says is used
:22:48. > :22:53.But Mrs Stewart tells it differently.
:22:54. > :22:56.She says the officers wanted to help her disprove complaints made
:22:57. > :23:07.So, he said if I can take photos of everything then I can say here's
:23:08. > :23:14.the proof what you're saying is not true.
:23:15. > :23:19.The chief inspector sent him down to get evidence to shut that lot up.
:23:20. > :23:22.So, instead of acting on the volunteers' concerns,
:23:23. > :23:28.Now we've got the RSPCA to say everything they say are lies.
:23:29. > :23:30.Now we can go after them for defamation and libel,
:23:31. > :23:38.The RSPCA says Mrs Stewart's claims are "categorically untrue"
:23:39. > :23:40.and that its only concern is the welfare of the
:23:41. > :23:46.We first filmed these pools of diarrhoea on Wednesday,
:23:47. > :23:49.again on Thursday, the day of the RSPCA's visit,
:23:50. > :23:55.Despite our volunteer filming it over three days,
:23:56. > :23:59.Mrs Stewart maintains this is untrue and says the cat pens are cleaned
:24:00. > :24:06.Mrs Stewart tells our volunteer a vet doesn't yet know why four
:24:07. > :24:09.of these kittens died and therefore nobody should go in
:24:10. > :24:19.You know the tabbies and the black and white, those four?
:24:20. > :24:24.She says she's re-homed three other kittens that were kept in the same
:24:25. > :24:34.Kittens have died in that facility just next door to kittens re-homed.
:24:35. > :24:37.They should have been held there for at least a fortnight
:24:38. > :24:40.to ensure there hadn't been any cross contamination
:24:41. > :24:44.before they are even considered for re-homing.
:24:45. > :24:49.Mrs Stewart says the kittens were well grown and fully vaccinated
:24:50. > :24:56.and after veterinary advice they were cleared to be re-homed.
:24:57. > :25:02.Mike says in a busy rescue, any animal's death should be
:25:03. > :25:06.investigated to rule out contagious disease.
:25:07. > :25:10.Mrs Stewart confirmed that Titch was taken to the vet to be disposed
:25:11. > :25:28.The dirty conditions are also causing Mike serious concern.
:25:29. > :25:29.That's truly awful, it shouldn't have been
:25:30. > :25:33.To be there for three days is just awful.
:25:34. > :25:36.What you've seen, our footage, what are your overall thoughts?
:25:37. > :25:38.The problem is they've over-crowded it.
:25:39. > :25:41.You're then repeating the mistakes of disease transfer,
:25:42. > :25:52.If you had the authority, would you close this place down?
:25:53. > :25:54.I would question whether this place should keep going.
:25:55. > :26:00.Mrs Stewart declined to be interviewed but in statement
:26:01. > :26:04.she says she's dedicated 58 years of her life to caring for animals,
:26:05. > :26:08.the charity's received awards and is planning a new isolation unit
:26:09. > :26:15.She claims the charity has one part-time member of staff and two
:26:16. > :26:20.volunteers on work schemes, plus up to 20 more volunteers.
:26:21. > :26:23.She also says unfounded allegations of overcrowding,
:26:24. > :26:27.deaths of animals being hidden and dying unnecessarily have been
:26:28. > :26:31.made over a period of 18 months to the RSPCA but that no action has
:26:32. > :26:39.The RSPCA has told us it's been aware of Capricorn Animal Rescue
:26:40. > :26:41.for "many years" and has been working to improve
:26:42. > :26:48.But it says it can't comment further, for legal reasons
:26:49. > :26:51.The Welsh Government is being urged to introduce a new law forcing
:26:52. > :26:56.rescue centres to be licenced, meaning regular inspections and
:26:57. > :27:01.The idea is we would have a licencing system akin
:27:02. > :27:03.to breeding and boarding establishments and that would be
:27:04. > :27:07.done through the local authority and you would not be able to run
:27:08. > :27:09.a sanctuary without having got that licence and satisfied
:27:10. > :27:17.None of them would be a stretch for any well run sanctuary.
:27:18. > :27:20.The Welsh Government says it's working with animal charities,
:27:21. > :27:23.including the RSPCA, to introduce a voluntary code
:27:24. > :27:33.The worry of the RSPCA and others in field is it will be the good guys
:27:34. > :27:36.that sign up to voluntary approach, it will be the ones
:27:37. > :27:40.That's why we need statutory underpinning.
:27:41. > :27:45.What we're calling for is a mechanism that gives real teeth
:27:46. > :27:48.to make sure the highest standards are there in all animal
:27:49. > :27:55.That's what we're saying to Welsh govt now, it's your call,
:27:56. > :27:58.That's what we're saying to Welsh government now, it's your call,
:27:59. > :28:02.do what needs to be done and if it's not a statutory basis give us
:28:03. > :28:04.something else with teeth that will make sure everybody is up
:28:05. > :28:08.For former volunteers like Jackie and Vikki,
:28:09. > :28:10.fighting to improve conditions at sanctuaries such as Capricorn,
:28:11. > :28:12.a change in the law can't come too soon.
:28:13. > :28:15.It would give out the message to everybody that you can't abuse
:28:16. > :28:21.And people get recognised for being good sanctuaries
:28:22. > :28:31.For them to go in and do checks and make sure
:28:32. > :28:34.that they are being run correctly I think would make
:28:35. > :28:45.It's the end of the day at the RSPCA's sanctuary in Newport.
:28:46. > :28:55.Some TLC for these cats facing the prospect of a better
:28:56. > :29:37.But those people arguing for change say it's the only way such level
:29:38. > :29:40.Hello, I'm Alex Bushill with your 90 second update.