0:00:00 > 0:00:05- Good afternoon, RSPCA Control Centre. - Is the cat still breathing?- 'No.'
0:00:05 > 0:00:07You don't think it's breathing.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Every 30 seconds,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12someone calls the RSPCA about an animal that needs help.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18I'll pass this information through to the officer.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20From neglected pets to injured wildlife...
0:00:22 > 0:00:26..where a trained inspector's every shift is a challenge.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28It's disgusting.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32We can't leave this situation as it is.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Now they tell us what it's really like
0:00:35 > 0:00:37on the animal frontline.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39No day really is the same.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42We have pigs!
0:00:42 > 0:00:45It never ceases to amaze me.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49I go to bed thinking about it and I wake up thinking about it.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51What makes a good RSPCA inspector?
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Nerves of steel, a stomach of iron and a sense of humour.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Today, the cat with expensive tastes.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18The owner is in fact right. The cat swallowed a necklace.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22A helping hand for the rabbits left home alone.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30An inspector Anthony Joynes gets to set a buzzard free.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33It just looked like a bird that was ready to go back into the wild.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35It was fantastic, really.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Better luck second time round.
0:01:45 > 0:01:51Last year, the RSPCA received an incredible 130,000 calls about abandoned animals.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58It's a problem inspectors like Emma Ellis see everyday.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03We often get called to abandonments
0:02:03 > 0:02:07where people have been either been evicted, left, moved away.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Left animals inside, left animals outside.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's a very common occurrence for us as RSPCA inspectors to deal
0:02:13 > 0:02:15with those situations.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35This latest call is to an empty house in Bradford
0:02:35 > 0:02:39where the occupant has moved out, leaving two dogs and a cat.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- Hi!- Emma is meeting colleague Nicki Cheatham who's been
0:02:42 > 0:02:45investigating the complaint.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47So what's going on?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50We've managed to get some access round the back
0:02:50 > 0:02:54of the house to see inside and the conditions are really not good the dogs are living in.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56We've had a vet to come out and have a look
0:02:56 > 0:02:58and he's really quite concerned about them.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01My colleague had gone down there in the morning with the vet to try
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and establish what the conditions were like and whether the vet
0:03:04 > 0:03:08would say those dogs needed to come out of there, which the vet did.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11DOG BARKS
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Dogs love company, need attention and are pack animals,
0:03:15 > 0:03:20so to leave a dog in those conditions without attending
0:03:20 > 0:03:23to them is just unbelievable.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It's generally pretty disgusting.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28I think they'll be a lot happier when they're out of that house.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Then the police were contacted,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35the landlord was contacted so we could gain access to the property
0:03:35 > 0:03:39to remove the dogs from the conditions they were being kept in.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43As soon as the door was opened to the house,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46the smell was unbelievable, absolutely horrendous.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Oh, my God!
0:03:49 > 0:03:51It hit you immediately.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53You ARE thin, aren't you?
0:03:53 > 0:03:55The dogs came flying out of the door.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00They were literally so relieved to be able to get out of there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Faeces everywhere, they're walking around in it, there's urine,
0:04:03 > 0:04:04it's wet.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08It's just absolutely disgusting in there, really, really filthy.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Come on then.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15They would have been stressed. They would have been hungry, thirsty.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17You were keen to come out of there.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21All the basic things she would expect in order to do,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24this owner had completely failed to do with his dogs.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26In you go, in you go.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32There's no food, no water at all in that room, not even an empty bowl.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34There's a packet of washing powder all over the floor which the
0:04:34 > 0:04:36dogs could have ingested.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40It's absolutely digesting. The dogs are covered in their own faeces.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Not good at all.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The conditions are so bad Emma and Nicki need to take
0:04:47 > 0:04:51photos as evidence in case the owner is later prosecuted.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57I have absolutely no idea what was going on in this property.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01It just shows you - until you get in, you just don't know.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Yeah, exactly.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Amongst the mess, it's clear there's a cat living here too.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09They just need to find it.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13The litter tray is full to the point that the cat has started going
0:05:13 > 0:05:17outside the litter tray, which is totally unacceptable.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Tins everywhere, just horrible.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24I will never, ever understand how somebody can do that.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26To leave them and not even
0:05:26 > 0:05:29think about returning to check they're OK.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31We certainly
0:05:31 > 0:05:33won't allow that situation to continue
0:05:33 > 0:05:36where animals are kept in those conditions.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Oh, hello, gorgeous.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The cat is located and put in a basket
0:05:41 > 0:05:44so it can be taken away.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Yeah, he's massive!
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Let's get this cat in the van.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54The animals are all out safely
0:05:54 > 0:05:57And Nicki's determined they won't be going back.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59He won't get these animals back.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02He's shown by the conditions in the house he's not
0:06:02 > 0:06:05capable of looking after them, so no is the answer.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06Not if I can help it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09But the priority now is to get the animals checked over
0:06:09 > 0:06:11by a vet.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Come on then, gorgeous, let's go.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21When they get there, it's clear
0:06:21 > 0:06:24they're very dehydrated.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26They were taken to the vets
0:06:26 > 0:06:31and both were absolutely dying of thirst...
0:06:31 > 0:06:34..to the point that you couldn't give them enough water.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37They just drank and drank and drank and drank
0:06:37 > 0:06:39which shows how long they'd been without it.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42That's ridiculous, isn't it?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50All the animals were examined and after a good feed
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and a bath were fine.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Both dogs and the cat were later re-homed.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00But the owner has yet to be found.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Unfortunately there's been no contact from the owner.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06So we will pursue someone till we find them
0:07:06 > 0:07:10so they CAN be disqualified and not do this again to another animal.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25The RSPCA's Manchester Animal Hospital treats
0:07:25 > 0:07:2727,000 pets every year.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31And they see some very unusual cases.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Today an expensive necklace has gone missing.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37And the prime suspect is behind bars.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44The owner left a necklace on a table.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48And put some food next to that.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50They left the room, came back
0:07:50 > 0:07:54to find the necklace had gone.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58The owner of five-year-old Oliver is convinced her pet has turned
0:07:58 > 0:08:01cat burglar and has eaten the jewellery.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But David Yates has his doubts.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Cats are quite discriminate eaters. They don't eat silly things usually.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11A playful puppy might pick up an object
0:08:11 > 0:08:13that belongs to an owner and swallow that,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15but it would be unusual for a cat to suddenly decide
0:08:15 > 0:08:18to take and eat the necklace in preference to the food.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23As a precaution, David has decided to X-ray Oliver.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Whenever owners come in and say, "The cat's eaten something strange,"
0:08:27 > 0:08:28we always take that with a pinch of salt,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32cos they're generally quite selective about what they take in.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36But the X-ray has thrown up a bit of a surprise.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38This is a side-on view of the cat.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41This is the chest area and this is the abdomen.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43What we have here is the stomach
0:08:43 > 0:08:47with a bunched-up necklace.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52The owner is in fact right. The cat has swallowed a necklace.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56This is the first time I've ever seen such a high-value item
0:08:56 > 0:08:57swallowed by a cat.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01The cat with expensive tastes
0:09:01 > 0:09:02is now in a bit of bother.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06What's cause for concern here is the fact that we got a foreign body,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08an unusual foreign body.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09It may open out.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14We need to monitor the cat until we're certain it's past out through the back end.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17David is hoping the necklace can be retrieved
0:09:17 > 0:09:19without the need to for surgery...
0:09:19 > 0:09:20Hiya. You OK?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22..And puts vet nurse Sarah on the case.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25We had a treasure hunt in his letter tray
0:09:25 > 0:09:27to try and find...
0:09:27 > 0:09:30We tried but we can't find anything. He's not passed
0:09:30 > 0:09:32at all, whatsoever, yet.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34But he is eating so hopefully it will be soon.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37There's nothing at all there in his litter tray.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I'll just have a quick feel of his tummy,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41make sure he's not in any discomfort.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42All right, mate.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46He looks like he likes his food as well, doesn't he?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49This was quite a rotund cat.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51It was difficult to feel the tummy.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54There wasn't a great deal of obvious pain
0:09:54 > 0:09:58so we were fairly optimistic on that front.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04They decide to play the waiting game in the hope nature takes its course.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07We've got time on our hands. I'll ask you to
0:10:07 > 0:10:10keep a close eye on his litter tray over the next 24 hours.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11Feed him little and often?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Yeah, and pay particular attention to the litter tray.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17All right?
0:10:17 > 0:10:23Thankfully I didn't have the task of monitoring the cat's litter tray.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25I know the necklace has a long pendant on it
0:10:25 > 0:10:30and is made of opals and diamonds. I think she said it had three opals on it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Apparently the owner has been saving up for it all year.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35So she's quite upset really.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Sarah must now keep watch and hope Oliver makes a move.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Two days later, though,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and there's been no jewels in Oliver's litter tray,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56so the only option is surgery.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Just going to get his anaesthetic into his back leg.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07For an overweight cat,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09this is a dangerous procedure.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Because we're opening up his bowel, there is a risk with this kind
0:11:14 > 0:11:16of surgery.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20There's a risk the bowel may be damaged and the foreign body we have in there
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and also a risk after surgery
0:11:22 > 0:11:27that when we stitch his gut together it may not heal very well.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30We've prepped up his abdomen.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33We'll open up his tummy and then use a little hook
0:11:33 > 0:11:35to try and scoop the necklace out.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38We'll do an incision into the tummy
0:11:38 > 0:11:42and we're trying to locate the stomach itself.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44It will be quite a long incision,
0:11:44 > 0:11:49just so we can lift the stomach up and have a good poke around.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52The stomach could probably hold a couple of golf balls in size
0:11:52 > 0:11:54inside the cat's abdomen.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56It's fairly easy to locate.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I have the stomach in my left hand now.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04The jewelled necklace is within touching distance.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06David is nearly there.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Just a gentle, small incision if we can.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I'm touching against something firm and metallic.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15The tricky part, which you always breathe a sight of relief
0:12:15 > 0:12:17when you do locate the foreign bodies
0:12:17 > 0:12:21is when you've found it inside the opening of the stomach
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and been able to free it without damaging
0:12:24 > 0:12:26any of the guts or vital tissues
0:12:26 > 0:12:28inside the abdomen.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Keep going with that, just gently.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35At last, the jewellery is freed from Oliver's stomach.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39That's brilliant. Great stuff.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42There was hair and undigested food
0:12:42 > 0:12:46and the necklace looked a bit gruesome.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50So we can see that's a fairly small incision I've done there.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53We've closed it with five sutures.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56That should heal fairly rapidly.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59The procedure has gone to plan
0:12:59 > 0:13:02and this precious pet, along with the precious necklace,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06should soon be back with their grateful owner.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I'll just clean this up a bit,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11make it more presentable and for the owner.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I think the owners were pleased primarily for the outcome with the cat,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18and obviously it was a joy to retrieve the necklace
0:13:18 > 0:13:21in a fairly unblemished state.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27A few weeks later,
0:13:27 > 0:13:32the surgery's success is celebrated at Oliver's home.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36You worried us quite a bit, didn't you?
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Owner Francine is still trying to work out how Oliver managed
0:13:41 > 0:13:45to complete his jewellery snatch in the first place.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50That's exactly how it was and come back, necklace gone!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53How on earth he managed to eat THAT,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57I have no idea.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01And now she'll keep a much closer eye on the necklace.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Oliver, you're not getting your hands on that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Having a pet is a year-round commitment.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19When people go on holiday,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21finding someone to look after their animals
0:14:21 > 0:14:24should be as important as packing their parcels.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31You have to make sure that if you leave your animal with anybody
0:14:31 > 0:14:33when you go away, it has to be somebody knowledgeable.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Give them the information of the local vet.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40If something happens, take it to the vet.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44But all too often the RSPCA is called when the person
0:14:44 > 0:14:46left in charge is ill-prepared.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04In Birmingham, inspector Herchy Boal
0:15:04 > 0:15:08is following up this latest call.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Obviously the big concern is that one's died.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14I'm thinking, "Oh, God, is that because the owner's not been there for ages?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16"What's the condition of the other one?"
0:15:16 > 0:15:20The thing about rabbits are they have to have food all the time.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Herchy's first job is to find out if the rabbits' owner
0:15:23 > 0:15:24is at home and if not,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26who is looking after them?
0:15:29 > 0:15:33When I got there and knocked on the door, nobody was in.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Nobody answered initially.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I went into the rear garden. The gate was open.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44There were two rabbit hutches, one of top of the other.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46There's three rabbits here.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51I wonder where the dead one is, then.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55There were no dead rabbits.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57There was a space next to it which was empty.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59That's odd, cos that grass looks quite fresh.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06There may or may not have been a rabbit in that space,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08but certainly we didn't find any dead rabbits.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Even though the complaint was wrong,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Herchy has other concerns.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15The large rabbit in the bottom hutch looks desperately ill.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17One of the rabbits
0:16:17 > 0:16:20that was the largest had a really bad
0:16:20 > 0:16:22kind of weepy eye.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It was quite inflamed and looked very sore.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27It couldn't open that eye at all,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29so that was an initial concern.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32This rabbit's got quite bad eyes.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33They're very sore.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37I suspected at the time the rabbit had something called myxomatosis
0:16:37 > 0:16:39which can kill a rabbit
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and they do need treatment very quickly.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Myxomatosis is highly contagious.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And the conditions these rabbits are being kept in
0:16:48 > 0:16:51increases the risk of it spreading.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56They have no food at all, that's not good.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59The bedding material in there was wet and dirty.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Oh, dear.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02It certainly appeared
0:17:02 > 0:17:06like they hadn't been attended to or cleaned out for a while.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09It looks like the rabbits have been abandoned.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13But then Herchy spots some movement in an upstairs window.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Hello!
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Someone IS home after all.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I've woken him up. I feel bad.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22He'd been asleep, having worked nights.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24He then explained that these rabbits
0:17:24 > 0:17:27belonged to his friend who'd gone abroad.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29I appreciate you're having to look after them
0:17:29 > 0:17:31for your friend and it was an emergency...
0:17:31 > 0:17:33I didn't do...
0:17:33 > 0:17:36He wasn't interested in rabbits and didn't know a lot about them
0:17:36 > 0:17:38or what to do.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41It's really important, especially as you're looking after them
0:17:41 > 0:17:42at least another week,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44you need to get some more of this. Yeah?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I was trying to explain to him,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and I gave the rabbit some grass, that it was hungry.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52See, he's hungry, isn't he?
0:17:52 > 0:17:56And rabbits bodies work in that they have to eat little and often
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and quite continuously.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02It should never be empty of this food.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Because rabbits will eat a small amount
0:18:04 > 0:18:05often, all through the day.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08If they have a long period
0:18:08 > 0:18:10where they don't have any food,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12that can cause problems with their gut.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16All I'm saying is make sure they always have this food in a bowl
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and they always have water.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I think he thought he could put food in like you might feed a dog.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Put some food down, leave it all day and then feed it 24 hours later
0:18:24 > 0:18:26or maybe later that evening.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28They eat that or just to...?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31They will eat a bit of it but it's for bedding.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34More importantly, they needed cleaning out,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36because they really stank.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37Look how dirty this is.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39You haven't cleaned them, have you?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41For one week, nobody clean this.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43No.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46With the crash course in rabbit care over,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Herchy turns her attention to the animal she suspects has myxomatosis.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The only concern I've got - see that one's eyes?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Both his eyes are completely closed.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Right? And this one's
0:18:59 > 0:19:01got a little bit of discharge.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The eye's a bit weepy.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05The eyes shouldn't be completely closed,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07that needs to go to the vet.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Herchy decides to give the man a chance to clean out the animals,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14get them some food and contact the owner to try
0:19:14 > 0:19:16and arrange taking the ill rabbit to the vet.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21I gave him a 24-hour window to do that
0:19:21 > 0:19:24and I decided to return the next day.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34The following day, Herchy's back to see if the rabbit owner's
0:19:34 > 0:19:36friend has taken her advice.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38See what he's done.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40He's cleaned them out, that's a lot better.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42He's even given it a bowl
0:19:42 > 0:19:44and they have some straw and some food, all of them.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46That one's having a good old drink.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50I was really pleasantly surprised
0:19:50 > 0:19:53when I went there the next day and he's done everything I asked him to,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55in regard to cleaning out the rabbit.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57He'd even bought another bag of food.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58Very pleased with this.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Done a great, good job.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Thank you for doing that, excellent.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03It's a lot better now, isn't it?
0:20:03 > 0:20:07But Herchy is still worried the white rabbit hasn't been to the vet.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11And it seems to have gone downhill overnight.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12Yes, I'd managed to
0:20:12 > 0:20:15sort out the living conditions of the other two rabbits.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17They'd got food and water
0:20:17 > 0:20:21and I'd badgered him enough to make him understand
0:20:21 > 0:20:23that he needed to keep on top of the cleaning.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25But what was quite sad for me was I knew that
0:20:25 > 0:20:28the end for the white rabbit wouldn't be a good one.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32The friend has contacted the rabbits' owner abroad.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34There we are, he's all right. Look at that.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37He's given permission for Herchy to take the rabbit
0:20:37 > 0:20:40to see if it does have myxomatosis.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It doesn't take long for the vet to confirm
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Herchy's worst fears.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- The thing with the sort of... - Swelling.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53Swollen eyes,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55hot, lethargic.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59It's very much like myxomatosis.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02There is no treatment we can offer.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07It's really sad.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09But this is kind of...
0:21:09 > 0:21:12..the horrible part of the job.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19The only bit you can salvage from something
0:21:19 > 0:21:23as upsetting and depressing as a case like that
0:21:23 > 0:21:25is, OK, it might not have been a very nice end,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and the rabbit was put to sleep,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30but at least it's not in a hutch,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33living in dirty conditions
0:21:33 > 0:21:35with no food and water and suffering.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39That's the only way you can deal with something
0:21:39 > 0:21:41as upsetting as that.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Thanks to Herchy's help,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47the other two rabbits
0:21:47 > 0:21:50were prevented from catching the disease.
0:21:50 > 0:21:56And she's confident the owner won't leave them in that position again.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58I think it was a situation
0:21:58 > 0:22:02where there was genuinely a man living at the property who loved rabbits
0:22:02 > 0:22:04and looked after them well,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07but he'd given temporary custody of them cos he'd gone abroad
0:22:07 > 0:22:08to somebody else.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11There's another lesson there too in that, if you're going away,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13you need to leave your animals
0:22:13 > 0:22:15with somebody who will do what's necessary,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18that will be interested and know how to look after them.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35In Cheshire, it's an exciting day for inspector Anthony Joynes.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41He's on his way to pick up and release a buzzard
0:22:41 > 0:22:43back into the wild,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46a job all RSPCA inspectors look forward to.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52What had happened with the buzzard was
0:22:52 > 0:22:55a fisherman had been fishing on the Shropshire Union Canal.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57He'd seen the buzzard and it was all ruffled up.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00When you see a bird that's quite ruffled in that way,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02it usually demonstrates it's not very well.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06He said it just looked really dishevelled, really skinny,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08couldn't fly.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11He picked it up, to his credit,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13cos I wouldn't advise people to approach a buzzard,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17cos they can be quite dangerous, and he took it home.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18He's put it in his shower,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20which is quite funny.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Put it in his shower and then has basically
0:23:22 > 0:23:26kept it warm and fed it until I could arrive.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31After the fisherman picked it up and then called the RSPCA,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Anthony took the bird to the local wildlife centre.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36But it wasn't in good shape.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39This fisherman had done brilliantly well,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41cos I think, personally,
0:23:41 > 0:23:42just with my experience,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44the bird would have been dead
0:23:44 > 0:23:47another day or two cos it was really weak.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Sounds a bit dramatic but he saved its life, basically.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Now Anthony is back to pick up the bird,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57ready for its release back into the wild.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03It's basically just needed 2½ weeks of R&R, really.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Some food and a bit of rest.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09But wildlife assistant Richard
0:24:09 > 0:24:12has got to catch it first.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It is difficult to catch them because
0:24:20 > 0:24:22these birds are wild.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26To try and catch any wild animal,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28they're not going to want you to do it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33They think they're the prey and you're the predator, basically.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41So you just have to do it as quickly and quietly
0:24:41 > 0:24:43as possible
0:24:43 > 0:24:47and to stop that animal from being stressed out.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49I thought he was playing a joke,
0:24:49 > 0:24:50I thought it was a different bird.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It looked completely different.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54It was amazing to see the difference.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58It looked like a bird ready to go back into the wild.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00It was fantastic, really.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02There he is.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Then it's basically get it into a dark, confined box where it will relax,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08for transportation.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14We just transport it
0:25:14 > 0:25:16as quickly as possible
0:25:16 > 0:25:18back to where we're going to release it.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21We'll try and get that exactly right,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25to give the bird the best possible chance.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28To help him, Anthony's arranged to meet Billy,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30the fisherman who first rescued the bird.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Got this buzzard we've just picked up from the wildlife centre.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37I just want you to show us
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- where you found it so we can release it back to the same area.- OK.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- Is that all right?- No problem.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45He was really interested and wanted to know it would do well.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47It's put on loads of weight.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51What we initially thought was wrong with it was it was just skinny, wasn't it?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53I had it overnight, fed it some steak,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and the next morning, to be honest,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59it was like a different bird, but obviously it needs that bulk
0:25:59 > 0:26:01before we release it, so
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I think another day or so, it wouldn't have...
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It would have become completely waterlogged, wouldn't it?
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Feel the difference.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12You can feel him now, can't you?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14He's put on some beef, hasn't he,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16so there we go.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Rescuing a bird of prey, personally for me,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22birds of prey, I have a massive interest in them.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27- So this is pretty much the area?- Yeah.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29You don't see them very often, so when you do,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31it's quite a big deal
0:26:31 > 0:26:33and you get quite excited about it.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35I don't want him to blast out.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41This job can make you question human nature.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Day in, day out, week in, week out,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45situations like that,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47where someone's gone out their way...
0:26:47 > 0:26:49He didn't have to do any of what he did.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Looks like a different bird, doesn't it?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53We're not having you on. It IS the same bird.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57He looks amazing, doesn't he?
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It does instil your faith in human nature
0:26:59 > 0:27:01a little bit, yeah.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Better luck second time round.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Nothing better than that.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12He'll wait now, I think.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14He'll probably wait, get his bearings,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16maybe have a fly round
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and then he'll know where he's at.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Amazing. Good, really good.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I feel like I've done something now.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29All we can do is get him back to this point and give him a second chance.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33He wouldn't have survived if you wouldn't have picked him up.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35That one little episode,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39it just make sit all worth while when you've had, say,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42two weeks of dealing with some of the worst people you can come across,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45then you get to go and do something like that.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48It's just absolutely fantastic.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I just want him to fly around, I want to see him.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52There he goes.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00He's flying well, isn't he?
0:28:02 > 0:28:06I'd love to see him now soar back over.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd