0:00:02 > 0:00:05- Good afternoon, RSPCA Control Centre. - Is the cat still breathing?
0:00:05 > 0:00:07You don't think it's breathing?
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Every 30 seconds, someone calls the RSPCA
0:00:10 > 0:00:12about 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 > 0:00:26For the trained inspectors, every shift is a challenge.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28- In the field! - It's disgusting!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33We can't leave this situation as it is.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Now they tell us what it's really like on the Animal Frontline.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39No day, really, is the same.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43- We have piggies! - It never ceases to amaze me.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I go to bed thinking about it and I wake up thinking about it.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53What makes a good RSPCA Inspector? Nerves of steel, a stomach of iron,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56and a sense of humour!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Today, an abandoned dog left frightened and alone.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17The dog was curled up, terrified.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's all right.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25The horses in danger after an audacious attempt to escape.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29You can see they've, like, smashed his greenhouse to smithereens down there.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34And Inspector Lorna Campbell deals with an overwhelming problem.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37These are all the cats that are stray or unwanted
0:01:37 > 0:01:38that are waiting for a new home.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49With fewer than 300 inspectors to cover the whole of the UK
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and thousands of calls coming in daily,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55every job is prioritised before it's sent to an officer.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02But when an emergency call comes in, inspectors have to drop everything.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Literally, just had an emergency call tasked through to me
0:02:09 > 0:02:11by the control room.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Staffordshire Police have been in touch with us
0:02:13 > 0:02:17to say that they've had to force entry to a property.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21And when they've gone into the property, they've found
0:02:21 > 0:02:25a dog which they believe has been abandoned in there for several days.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33When we arrived at the location
0:02:33 > 0:02:35the police, obviously, were already in attendance.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38What sort of dog is it?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The front door had had to be forced open.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44The door was completely off its hinges.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46I went inside the property with the officer
0:02:46 > 0:02:51and through to a back living room, as it were, and there I saw the dog.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Hello, darling!
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Bruce has been alone without food or water for a week.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02And he's clearly petrified.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Are you a good boy? Are you a bit scared?
0:03:05 > 0:03:08You just look a bit wary, don't you?
0:03:08 > 0:03:12If you imagine that this animal has been there for a few days,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14on his own in silence,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and then all of a sudden a big burly policeman comes
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and smashes in the front door and walks in.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24The dog was, you know, curled up, terrified.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- It's a nice looking dog, isn't it? - It's just very scared.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31That dog would have sat in that house,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34there was no electricity in there, no lights.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37You just imagine how that animal must feel
0:03:37 > 0:03:40to be there on their own and nobody coming.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Police may have entered that property
0:03:45 > 0:03:50in two or three or four week's time and found an emaciated dead dog.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58Jayne needs to look round the house to see how Bruce has been surviving.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01This particular dog seemed, bless him, to have taken himself
0:04:01 > 0:04:07upstairs and used one room as the main sort of toilet area.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08That looks like vomit actually.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Yeah, there's lots of vomit under the bed as well.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16She takes some photographs of the conditions he's been living in,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19but with the owner nowhere to be found, she has to seize the dog.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22My priority then is to make sure
0:04:22 > 0:04:25that that dog is removed and looked after.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32But the moment that you approach the dog and you need to actively
0:04:32 > 0:04:34get the dog out of the property,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I have to be very careful that this dog isn't going to...
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Through fear that dog could turn on you.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Come on then, Bruce. There's a good boy, Brucey baby!
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Good boy! There we go.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Now then... That's OK, sweetheart, don't cringe.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Bruce is terrified and Jayne has to take it slowly.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I tried to get him into the back of the van on his own.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06He was too nervous and too scared.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Oh, mate. Come on.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12With a little bit of encouragement he had to be placed
0:05:12 > 0:05:15into the kennel and back onto the van.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Shut the door. Thanks very much.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Having managed to get the dog into the vehicle...
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I had to leave a notice at the address prior to leaving,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30which explains to the person responsible for this dog
0:05:30 > 0:05:34that the RSPCA have attended and that an animal has been removed.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36The dog was then taken away
0:05:36 > 0:05:38and boarded in a private boarding kennel.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44And when they get there, poor Bruce is totally overwhelmed.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48He was very wary of the male police officer.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51So I don't whether it's fear of men, I don't know.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54He's just absolutely terrified!
0:05:54 > 0:05:56When you get the dog to the kennel,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59you want to dog to be happy in it's environment.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01BARKING
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Unfortunately, if you've never been into a kennel environment,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10it can be quite overwhelming.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13If it's full, it's quite loud, lots of dogs barking.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15BARKING
0:06:15 > 0:06:17It's a bit of a bombardment of the senses.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20And for this particular dog, cos he was so nervous
0:06:20 > 0:06:25as he walked into that environment, I felt really sorry for him.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Bruce's owner did eventually turn up.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But he didn't contact the RSPCA for over a month,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34so Bruce was put up for re-homing.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36The most important thing for me
0:06:36 > 0:06:40is that the dog was removed from that address and he was taken
0:06:40 > 0:06:44to a safe environment where he was looked after. And now he's going
0:06:44 > 0:06:47to hopefully find a new family,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50who will love him and give him the affection
0:06:50 > 0:06:53that he needs and he deserves, because he's a beautiful dog.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57You know, he will make somebody a really fantastic pet.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59BARKING
0:06:59 > 0:07:02In the following days, Bruce regained his confidence
0:07:02 > 0:07:07and as Jayne predicted, he was snapped up by a new family.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22The RSPCA deals with a million and a half calls a year,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25most about animals in genuine need.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And what animal is your call regarding?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30But some are not so serious.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Your dog needs a haircut?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Every call you get is different,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38so, you know, you get the sublime to the ridiculous.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Right, so just to confirm here, Marion,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44you've got a pig currently chasing...
0:07:44 > 0:07:47chasing the horses on your farm?
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Radioactive squirrels which are albino ferrets.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55A member of the public had reported that she'd found a couple
0:07:55 > 0:07:59of baby armadillos in the property and it turned out to be woodlice!
0:08:01 > 0:08:04An aggressive hedgehog in the downstairs toilet
0:08:04 > 0:08:07turned out to be a toilet brush.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13The call was for a slow moving tortoise on a motorway.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17It was a deflated football that wasn't going anywhere.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23But even the most comical calls often start as genuine complaints
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and some need to be taken very seriously indeed.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49This call to a house in Northumberland
0:08:49 > 0:08:51is passed on to Inspector Trevor Walker.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It sounds serious.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58We often get calls about dead animals.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01But the thing that struck me about this one was why would
0:09:01 > 0:09:03there be two dead dogs?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06You won't under normal circumstances find two dogs
0:09:06 > 0:09:10would die of natural causes at the same time.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14So, immediately, I think you kick into the gear whereby you think
0:09:14 > 0:09:16some foul play has gone on.
0:09:18 > 0:09:2315 years on the job has taught Trevor to expect every eventuality.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26The suggestion is I think that whoever's coal bunker it is,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28they have actually left the property.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31So, unfortunately, it may well have been a case
0:09:31 > 0:09:35that either the dogs have died and they've put them in the coal bunker,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38or it may well be a case that they haven't died and they've still
0:09:38 > 0:09:40put them in the coal bunker and they've died in the coal bunker.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44So it's a little bit worrying really until we get round there
0:09:44 > 0:09:49and have a look and see what the situation is.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52On arrival, the house is deserted.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The house didn't appear that it was actually lived in at all.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01So I went round to the rear... and there is the coal bunker.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05And I went and looked inside the coal bunker.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08There's no obvious sign of dead animals.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10But Trevor has made a discovery.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I will return in one moment.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21I went and pulled on a pair of surgical gloves
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and then returned back to the coal bunker at the back.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It's a dirty job but somebody's got to do it.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Then I pulled out what appeared to be a black dead dog.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39And laid it on the top of the coal bunker.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46The black dog was a fur jacket.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51What size are you? Looks like there's a white dog as well.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55The white dog was, in actual fact, a sheepskin rug.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56I think they're past it.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03We've all been brought out to situations like that.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05I've had owls that have been on the roof
0:11:05 > 0:11:08and it hadn't moved for a week and it's a pot owl.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14When you look, you can see the justification for the people
0:11:14 > 0:11:17ringing in and thinking the worst has happened.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22I would rather it be a frustrating call out
0:11:22 > 0:11:25that has got no validity in it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Trevor leaves happy that the only crimes committed here today
0:11:29 > 0:11:32were crimes against fashion.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38TICKING
0:11:41 > 0:11:45It's rush hour outside Nottingham and Inspector Chris Shaw
0:11:45 > 0:11:48is on his way to a call from a worried home owner.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The man has reported that a group of horses
0:11:51 > 0:11:55have escaped from their field and broken through his garden fence.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58When I received the call about this particular job,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02they made it quite clear that these horses could get out onto the road.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07The last thing I want is for a herd of horses to escape onto a main road.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Particularly with the fact that where that house was,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14if the horses wanted to they could have gone up a small banking
0:12:14 > 0:12:16and ended up on the M1,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18which would have ended in absolute disaster.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- Hi there. You all right? - Please, come in.- Oh, thank you.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29They're just coming straight through your fence?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Yeah, through the fence. Through Alan's fence.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Yeah. And how often has this been happening then now?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Well, they're coming all the time. Coming and going.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I've done temporary repairs on the fence,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42but it makes no difference they just burst through it again.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I did feel for the owner of the property.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47He'd come home from wherever he'd been
0:12:47 > 0:12:50to find all these horses in his garden.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54It wasn't a very big garden, the garden had been really trashed.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58They'd basically smashed a few panes in his greenhouse,
0:12:58 > 0:12:59they'd trashed his lawn.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The thing is, what can I do when there's five of them in the garden?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08They're charging down the small alleyway past my shed.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10They're charging at the iron gates at the bottom
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and if they burst through them they'll be onto the road
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and that's what they've been trying to do.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18The horses have retreated back into the field.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Worried for their safety, Chris wants to take a closer look.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- Well, if it's all right, we'll go out and have a look.- Yes, of course you can, yeah.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27They've been coming right up to the back door.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Looks like they've been here a while with all this poo.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36That must be the hole they're getting through.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37And you can see they've, like,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40smashed his greenhouse to smithereens down there.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43So my problem is, if they've been walking through all this glass
0:13:43 > 0:13:45that's not very good, really.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47The gentleman is quite upset that these horses
0:13:47 > 0:13:50are coming into his garden and causing all this damage.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52He wants to speak to the owners
0:13:52 > 0:13:55to try and get his fence fixed and things,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59but really what I'm here for is to make sure these horses are all right.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Chris heads out into the field to see if he can find the horses.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10The first thing I wanted to do was to go and check that the horses
0:14:10 > 0:14:11were all safe really and not injured.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14There's hazards everywhere round here, we've got like barbed wire
0:14:14 > 0:14:19and just bits and bobs of all kinds of things, really.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Glass bottles. Not the best place, really.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28The issue I had was it was pitch black.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It had gone dark and the horses were quite flighty,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33they didn't really want me being near them.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36And the closer I got to them in the field the further they ran.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39God boy. And... whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It's all right. Steady, steady.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43And I could find the horses.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45I was told there was about six,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47but there was actually about eight in total.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50All right. Steady, steady.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51Trying not to scare them,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Chris inches forward and gets close enough to check them over.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Are you all right?
0:14:57 > 0:14:59When we found them what I wanted to do
0:14:59 > 0:15:02was to check their legs and their feet.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05How's your little legs, eh? Steady, steady.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Your legs look all right.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Just to make sure I couldn't see any fresh blood,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13that they weren't limping or lame or anything like that.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15So that was sort of my priority then.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I've just been and checked the condition of these horses,
0:15:18 > 0:15:19their legs seem all right at the moment.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Considering there's so many hazards, I think they've done quite well to come through.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I mean, we've got pipes sticking out of the ground, glass bottles,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29we've got smashed glass everywhere, we've got barbed wire on the floor.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31It's not great at all.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35So they're doing all right at the moment, but I need to speak to the owner cos that is not suitable.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36We can't leave them like that.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Inevitably, they're going to get injured.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43With no details of who owns the horses,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46all Chris can do is leave a note for them on the gate.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48What this is is a slip to say,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51"Please, get in touch with us as a matter of urgency."
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Fortunately for me, which doesn't happen very often in these cases,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01as I was leaving the note a 4X4 turned up
0:16:01 > 0:16:06and we had the owner of the horses present, which was a real bonus.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Hiya. Are you anything to do with these horses?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11I've just been in to check them and I don't know if you've heard,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15but they're getting through these people's gardens and smashing greenhouses and things.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17The first thing I did is say, you know,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20"I wanna go and show you what my concerns are."
0:16:20 > 0:16:22There's loads of barbed wire on the floor
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and there's quite a lot of smashed bottles
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and there's, like, metal pipes sticking out of the ground.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Do you want me to go and show you?
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Chris takes the owner to see the hazards
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and explains that the horses aren't safe in the field.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44She's been quite good about it. She's going to go and get a trailer tonight and move the horses tonight
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and get them off this field. So can't ask any fairer than that, really.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03The next morning, Chris goes to check the horses at the stables they've been moved to.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06And there's some bad news.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10All right, so we're back here where all the horses are being stabled now.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15I'm just coming to check. These are two of the ones from last night.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20But, unfortunately, I've been told that one of them has got a bit of an injury.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24The owner saw the injury last night and called the vet.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25Oh, that's terrible!
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Even cleaned up, it's a nasty wound.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33She's got a massive gash on the back of her.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I'm guessing it's some kind of injury from the greenhouse.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39You can see that it is quite bad.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41That's why I was concerned about them.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44There were lots of hazards in that field.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45The problem with the greenhouse,
0:17:45 > 0:17:50the problem with the broken fence and all the bits and pieces that were hanging around the floor.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53You know, that's why I wanted the owner to move those horses.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57The owner's been and fetched the horses in when I asked
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and she's got the vet out straight away. She did all that last night.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02It's just a problem, you know.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Unfortunately, I was there in the pitch black in a field with six horses.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I didn't get to see this last night.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12This horse now faces a long recovery
0:18:12 > 0:18:16as it could take over a month for the wound to totally heal.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21After a quick check round the rest of the yard,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Chris is pleased to see all the other horses are in good health
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and enjoying their new surroundings.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34These are now nicely put in the stables, no injuries at all.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37In safety, in a much better place, aren't you, eh, little one?
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Hopefully these guys will be OK from now on.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43So, job well done, I guess.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Britain has thousands of feral and stray cats.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58They feed on mice and birds,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02but often rely on regular meals from humans to survive.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08But when the people who've cared for them move on,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12the homeless moggies can often struggle to fend for themselves.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16We're on our way to see a cat that's been left behind
0:19:16 > 0:19:19at an empty property.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I managed to get in touch with the previous occupant
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and he's got the cat confined for us in the shed.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28So it's ready for collection for re-homing.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32The man who was feeding the cat has moved home.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36If Lorna doesn't rescue it, it could starve.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38When he lived there, he just started feeding the cat.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43It was a stray, it was never his cat even though he's lived there for however many years.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46So when he moves, he's left the cat behind.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47We get this all the time,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50I get calls every day for this same thing.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54So when I went down, I went into the garden
0:19:54 > 0:19:59and there's this metal shed with a duvet in, cat food and water.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Come on, then!
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Although this cat wasn't sick or injured,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09it had recently been left behind, so it was classed as an abandoned cat.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12It's got no owners, they've left it.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17Come on, then. I don't want you to shoot out on me.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22Lorna may be trying to help the cat, but it's not going to come quietly.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Am I going to have to come in there for you?
0:20:26 > 0:20:30After a bit of a stand off, Lorna makes her move.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39SHE LAUGHS He made a run for it, like I thought he would.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I had you down to a tee, then.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44You had it written all over your face.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46He looks like a typical stray cat.
0:20:46 > 0:20:52A bit mucky, bit of a rogue. He's definitely been living the outside life for some time, I think.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Lorna knows that most people mean well when they feed strays.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00But unless you're willing to take the cat on full time,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03it's better to report it.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Before the cat has a chance of finding a new home,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Lorna must get him checked out by a vet.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17- Hiya.- Hiya.- It's just a general check, really,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19just to check he's fit and healthy for re-homing.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Can I have a feel of your tum? He's been well fed!
0:21:22 > 0:21:25- I know.- We need to put a flea treatment on him,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28but other than that, he should be OK for re-homing.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- Right, we'll get him sorted, then. - Yep.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36He's in good shape. And this could be the start of a new life.
0:21:36 > 0:21:37Right, thank you very much.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40But there's a long waiting list for homes on Lorna's patch.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42There you go, pudding.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Sadly, he's not the first and he won't be the last homeless cat
0:21:46 > 0:21:49to play the waiting game in these cages.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54These are all the cats that are currently stray or unwanted
0:21:54 > 0:21:55that are waiting for a new home.
0:21:55 > 0:22:02So you've got mum and kittens, kitten dumped in a box by a canal.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06People go, "It's a cat, they'll fend for themselves."
0:22:06 > 0:22:09And, yeah, they won't just curl up and die.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12They will go out there and they will find somebody else to feed them
0:22:12 > 0:22:15or they will catch a mouse.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I remember you. Dumped in a cat basket in a bin liner.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20I brought this one in last week.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23But that's not everything about owning an animal.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25That's just... That's the basics.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29What about the veterinary care and what about their health as well?
0:22:29 > 0:22:30And people don't think about that.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Or they do and they think, "Well, the RSPCA will sort that out when it becomes a problem."
0:22:35 > 0:22:38I don't think people realise just how many cats
0:22:38 > 0:22:39we get brought in to us.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43And why it's totally unacceptable just to leave them like this one.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44CAT MEOWS
0:22:44 > 0:22:46I've got a cat, yeah.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51And he was a stray that turned up one day
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and, yeah, he is without a doubt my cat.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59I couldn't ever imagine leaving my cat behind and moving house.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07Not all cats needing re-homing are unwanted or stray.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Sadly one of the most common reasons the RSPCA is called
0:23:11 > 0:23:13to help is when a pet owner has died.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It's a huge part of the job to help animals
0:23:18 > 0:23:21when their owner's passed away.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23We're the first port of call if an animal is involved.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26And if somebody's deceased, it's usually an emergency situation
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and they need someone to attend straight away.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36In London, Inspector Clare Dew is on her way to a report of a cat
0:23:36 > 0:23:37trapped in a flat.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43We'd had a call that a gentleman at the flat had passed away
0:23:43 > 0:23:47and Social Services had had permission from a family member
0:23:47 > 0:23:51to re-home the cat and then asked us if we could go and collect it.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59A hospital social worker is waiting to let Clare into the property.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Thank you for meeting me, Jose, at least we can get the cat.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- The cat has been alone in the flat for over a week. - CAT MEOWS
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Oh, I can hear the cat. Be careful cos it might run out the door.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11A cat's natural instinct the minute a door is open is to bolt.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15And this cat didn't actually do that. Oh, you're lovely.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18The cat was immediately by the door. It quite clearly hadn't seen anyone
0:24:18 > 0:24:22or had much food or contact from anyone for a few days.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Right, well, let's get you in the basket.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27I don't think you're gonna be too much of a problem.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The cat upon first observation is quite thin, which isn't surprising.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34It's a bit dehydrated. But considering the living conditions that it's in
0:24:34 > 0:24:38and the fact that it probably hadn't eaten anything for a while, it wasn't doing too bad.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Ohh! Hey! Right, in you get.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47With the nervous cat put safely in the carrier,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Clare checks the rest of the flat to see how it's been living.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53CAT MEOWS
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Ohh, dear!
0:24:55 > 0:24:57It's a depressing scene.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00But upstairs it's clear the cat had been well looked after.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08One of this man's last thoughts was about his cat
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- and what was going to happen to it. - CAT MEOWS
0:25:12 > 0:25:14And usually the animal itself is OK
0:25:14 > 0:25:16and it's just dealing with the circumstances that can be
0:25:16 > 0:25:20more difficult than actually dealing with the pet. I've never met this gentleman,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23we've never had any calls to this address.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25SHE SIGHS
0:25:25 > 0:25:30It's difficult not to get affected by an incident like that.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32OK, let's get this cat.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37It's quite a shame, really, that it had come to that,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40that the gentleman didn't have anyone else to leave the cat to.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- No wonder the neighbours been worried, you making all that noise. - CAT MEOWS
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- Hello! - CAT MEOWS
0:25:49 > 0:25:52For RSPCA inspectors the holy grail is to match an animal
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- that needs a home with a compatible owner. - CAT MEOWS
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I recently picked up a cat that had, unfortunately,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02been involved in a collision with a car and didn't make it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06And I had to impart the very sad news to that cat's owner.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And she asked me if it would be possible for her to have another cat.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12And I said I would gladly find her another cat, so I'm hoping
0:26:12 > 0:26:16that this little cat can go straight from its old home to a new home.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19It is quite sad that an animal like that
0:26:19 > 0:26:22comes up for re-homing in those circumstances,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26but it's great that we're able to do something about it quite quickly.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28And after a vet check,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Clare is about to introduce the cat to a potential new owner.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Hi, Judith!
0:26:35 > 0:26:39If both parties get on, this tragic story could have a happy ending.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Come on! Hello.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46- Hello! - Hello, girl!
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The cautious cat begins to find its feet.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56I had expected the cat to immediately run off
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and hide behind a sofa or under a bed or in the nearest dark corner,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and it just didn't do that.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- She's not frightened, she's just having a look round.- Yeah.- Hello!
0:27:06 > 0:27:09It just examined the whole of its new flat
0:27:09 > 0:27:12with interest and confidence.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Bonny, look, here's something to eat. She's rubbing herself on you.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Hello! Oh, I think she's gonna be fine, you know.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26It walked about, sniffed corners as though it just accepted that,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29"Yeah, this looks great. Quite happy to live here, thanks."
0:27:29 > 0:27:31She's coming. There's a good girl.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35She coming straight to it, Judith, look.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Clare leaves Judith and the newly named Bonny,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40to get to know each other.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44It's wandering around, it's calling out. I'm really pleased.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47They're really pleased and I'm really pleased. It's really great.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51I quite often pick up the animal and then have no idea what's happened to it.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55And it's nice to be able to put an animal into a home
0:27:55 > 0:27:57where I knew it would be really well loved
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and hopefully I've done the right thing by the man.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05He wanted someone to look after his pet and I know that's happening.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd