0:00:02 > 0:00:04Good afternoon, RSPCA control centre.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06What animal is your call regarding today?
0:00:06 > 0:00:11In the UK, someone calls the RSPCA every 30 seconds.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Exactly what did you see?
0:00:13 > 0:00:15So they're left outside in all weathers
0:00:15 > 0:00:17and they've got no bedding or shelter from the rain.
0:00:17 > 0:00:2024 hours a day, 365 days a year.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24I don't want you to go too close to it because swans can be very,
0:00:24 > 0:00:25very dangerous.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28When an animal needs help, the emergency line is open.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Do you know something, I've had non-stop calls for the past hour.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33All right, take care, bye-bye.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Got a bit of a rough throat now.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It's cos I don't shut up.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Filming as the calls come in...
0:00:45 > 0:00:48..and when inspectors respond on the ground...
0:00:48 > 0:00:51I'll pass this information through to the officer.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54So close!
0:00:54 > 0:00:59..rescuing everything from injured wildlife
0:00:59 > 0:01:01to neglected pets.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Every shift is a challenge.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Rhea one, RSPCA nil.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09There's no such thing as a typical day as an RSPCA inspector.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Get... Oh, my Lord!
0:01:12 > 0:01:15We never know what we're going to deal with.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16No two days are the same.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19- You're keeping a dog out there, it's disgusting.- Whoa there!
0:01:19 > 0:01:20At times you feel like
0:01:20 > 0:01:23you're banging your head against a brick wall.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It's dirty, sweaty...
0:01:25 > 0:01:27It stuns me sometimes, the smells that I come across.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Sorry.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32There's not a lot of glamour in my role.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35But even if you just helped one animal...
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Hi, mate.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37..it's worth it.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Today, it's a mud bath for inspector Vicki McDonald
0:01:52 > 0:01:53and 48 rabbits.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57He's just one big ball of fur, isn't he?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01The moment of truth for Mickey, the collie with a weighty problem.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06And lift-off...for an injured heron.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14At the National Control Centre,
0:02:14 > 0:02:19operators hear about animals with all kinds of problems.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23But one that's becoming increasingly common is pets piling on the pounds.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Calls about overweight dogs in particular are on the rise.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And it's the owners who are to blame.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36There's a great amount of people that keep dogs, and they love their
0:02:36 > 0:02:40dogs dearly, but they are literally killing their dogs with kindness.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Sweets and chocolates, and, you know, eclairs...
0:02:44 > 0:02:46I've seen people feed their dog cakes.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Come on! Come on!
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Oh, my life, that's a big bum.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54And inspectors on the ground have got their hands full...
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Two, three...
0:02:56 > 0:02:58..dealing with these chunky canines.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02OK. Wow. Auntie Clare's back's gone now!
0:03:02 > 0:03:06You speak to the owners and they say, "Oh, well, he likes cake,"
0:03:06 > 0:03:08or "He likes sausages and bacon."
0:03:08 > 0:03:12I like all those things, but I know it makes me fat.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17In Surrey, inspector Kerry Gabriel is on her way to help
0:03:17 > 0:03:19an overweight collie.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Hello again, it's just me. See how you're getting on with Mickey.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25She first visited owner James a month ago
0:03:25 > 0:03:30and advised him to put Mickey on a diet and increase his exercise.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Hello, Mickey, how are you doing, babe? Are you all right?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Mickey's certainly the biggest dog I've ever visited.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I was really concerned about how big he was.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40He needed to lose about a third of his body weight to be
0:03:40 > 0:03:43a normal body weight for his breed.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44How have you been getting on?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50I don't think I can see any difference in him, either.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52But as soon as I saw Mickey, I couldn't really tell that
0:03:52 > 0:03:55there'd been any improvement at all in his weight, which is
0:03:55 > 0:03:56quite disappointing.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59What about the diet, James? What have you got him on at the moment?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Same as what he had when you came here.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- Yeah.- Biscuits.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Biscuits. And have you reduced the amount by 10%?
0:04:06 > 0:04:07He only has 75 grams.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Handful in the morning, handful at night.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10OK. And what about treats?
0:04:10 > 0:04:12He has vegetables.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13What vegetables?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Taters, carrots, mixed veg.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18OK, so potatoes, that needs to come out of the diet.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Because that is carbs, and again, that's sugars,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24so that will make him fat.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26James clearly loves Mickey,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and his way of showing that is to give him titbits and treats,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32which Mickey loves as well, I mean, what dog wouldn't?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35But what James doesn't realise is that he's causing Mickey
0:04:35 > 0:04:39a lot of damage by overfeeding him, and by feeding the wrong things.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42And that, you know, he's putting Mickey's health at risk,
0:04:42 > 0:04:43at the end of the day.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Not sure that Mickey has lost any weight, Kerry is taking him
0:04:47 > 0:04:49back to the vet's for a weigh-in.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Come on, then, Mickey, come on!
0:04:51 > 0:04:53And she's not convinced by James' explanation.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I think it's just his build.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58No. it's not his build. He needs to go to fat camp.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02The dog is obese.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05He's only two years old, he shouldn't be overweight.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10And for a dog of his age to be this fat, it's really worrying.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13So I really want the vet to have a look today and tell me
0:05:13 > 0:05:14how bad it is.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Vet Louise Golden cuts straight to the case.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Hello, this is Mickey. He's almost three years old.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24To me, I don't think he's lost any weight.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26But the only way to confirm this is to get him
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- on the scales again. - The scales never lie.- Exactly.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33An average collie should weigh around 30 kilos.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37But on Mickey's last visit, he weighed a shocking 46.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Oh, dear, Mickey.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Unfortunately, he'd actually put on a kilo in a month,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49which was so disappointing.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I was really hoping to see an improvement.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55It was pretty gutting, to be honest.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Clearly, Mickey is going to need more help to shift the pounds.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03OK. Um...
0:06:03 > 0:06:06But, luckily, Kerry is in it for the long haul.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08This isn't the type of job where you're going to see
0:06:08 > 0:06:10improvements overnight,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13it's something that you are going to take a long time dealing with.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16But that's OK. You know, I'm going to build that relationship
0:06:16 > 0:06:18with James and Mickey, I'm going to keep going back.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20It might take months, who knows?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Hey, hey, hey. All right.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Do you want the bad news? Or do you want the bad news?
0:06:26 > 0:06:28If it's bad news, he's still the same weight.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29He's put on a kilo.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- Put it on?- Yeah.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I'm not giving up until I've seen that improvement in Mickey,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and hopefully he'll be a much fitter, healthier dog,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42in a few months' time, so, there's hope still.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Most complaints to the RSPCA result in a knock on someone's door.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00And they don't always receive the warmest of welcomes.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06On a daily basis, we could knock up to ten, 15 doors,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10and I'd say the normal reaction is, you know,
0:07:10 > 0:07:11a bit sort of apprehensive,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14or people are quite confused
0:07:14 > 0:07:16or angry.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Anger is, you know...is kind of up there, really.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Today, Herchy's responding to a call about a couple reported to be
0:07:23 > 0:07:27keeping a large number of cats in unsuitable conditions.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Oh, I can see a cat in the window.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Initially, when I knocked the door, there wasn't a sound.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41And I could see one cat, I think it was sitting in the window.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Hello, puss.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45And I looked through the letter box...
0:07:45 > 0:07:47That smells a bit.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50It was pitch black,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and then suddenly I saw sort of about three or four
0:07:52 > 0:07:55pairs of eyes, and there were a number of cats in the hallway.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58So I knew instantly that there were definitely quite a few,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00a few cats at the premises.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Hello?
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Keen to get a closer look at the cats, Herchy takes a look around.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12And spots an open window.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17Hello?
0:08:17 > 0:08:21The owners are in, but they aren't pleased to see Herchy.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- You all right?- If you're RSPCA, get away from my door.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- OK. Can I have a... - Just get away from my door,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28you're not coming in! Just get away.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Let me just have a quick chat with you.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Initially, she wasn't happy at all.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36And, you know, quite a lot of people aren't happy to see me
0:08:36 > 0:08:39standing on their doorstep, so I don't take that offensively,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41but it was a very strange situation.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44All I want to do is have a chat with you
0:08:44 > 0:08:45and have a look at the cats, all right?
0:08:45 > 0:08:48But Herchy manages to talk the lady round.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49OK.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52I think what we need to do is a head count, really.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53See how many cats you've got.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Herchy instantly sees there are lots of cats.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Two, three, four, five...
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Living in poor conditions.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05Hey, you two!
0:09:07 > 0:09:09As well as a number of other animals.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14So it was kind of a very small premises
0:09:14 > 0:09:15with a large amount of animals.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20She had three cat litter trays. They were full of cat faeces.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24What worries me is, when you've got this many cats,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27in a small house, if one gets a problem,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31like fleas or ear mites, the other one's going to get it, too,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34cos you've got them in such close proximity.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I can see different cats scratching themselves, biting,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42and it becomes very obvious that these cats are suffering from fleas.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- What's this one called? - Shookie. But she's just had kittens.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I was just going to say, she's had some kittens...
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And the kittens are being kept shut up in a carrier.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57They look tiny! For eight weeks.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Why've you got them in there? - Because they mess on the bed.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Do they? Can't have them in there, can you?
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Imagine how annoyed you'd get
0:10:07 > 0:10:11if you were locked up in a really small space for a really long time.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I'm saying it as nicely as I can, my darling,
0:10:13 > 0:10:14they need to be re-homed.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The kittens bring the total number to 13,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23which Herchy thinks is just too many for them to look after.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25They're obviously not coping
0:10:25 > 0:10:27with the amount of animals that they have.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30So I was then doing my absolute best to try
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and make her realise that she cannot keep this many cats.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Because you've got so many,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38that's going to cost you a fortune isn't it?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Flea treatment, worm treatment, and spray for the house,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44basically absolutely every cat you've got
0:10:44 > 0:10:45needs some flea treatment.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And Herchy's worried, with so many of the cats unneutered,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52things can only get worse.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Ten are going to get to 20, are going to get to 30.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58- What're you going to do? - I don't know.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Finally, Herchy persuades the couple to sign
0:11:01 > 0:11:03the majority of the cats over for re-homing.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And she's keen to take the ginger tom,
0:11:08 > 0:11:09who's the big daddy of the house.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I think big boy over there, who is getting everyone pregnant,
0:11:14 > 0:11:15should go, don't you?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Don't you think he should go? Because that's the...
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- That's our favourite one.- Is he?
0:11:19 > 0:11:24- Yeah.- OK. Well then you need...you need to get him done, then.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Herchy agrees to leave them their favourite, but gives them vouchers,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30so they can have him and the remaining cats
0:11:30 > 0:11:32neutered at the vet's.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It's pointless me taking away ten cats, and then I come back
0:11:35 > 0:11:39six months later, to find her with the same amount of cats again.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Because she's not neutered those cats.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44This one and this one, you're keeping, yeah?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- And the ginger one.- Yeah. - Yeah? OK, lovely.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Two cats would have been ample, in that flat,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and I think we left it at three in the end.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Good boy. He's beautiful, you know, he's a lovely boy.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58And she signed over the other sort of ten cats.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01All right then, I'll leave you in peace.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Now that the cats have been signed over,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Herchy can get them to the local animal hospital to be checked.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And her fears are confirmed.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- They're really bad, aren't they? - Really sore ears.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28All the cats and kittens are infected with fleas and ear mites.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31So that's a real shame, isn't it, in kittens so young,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33that they've got fleas and mites.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37But after treatment, they will all be re-homed.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Oh, little kitty.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41The end result is always going to be that
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I want to make sure that those animals have a better future,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47that they can go on and lead happy lives somewhere else.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Looking after any pet can involve a lot of work.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01But when people keep large numbers of animals,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03it can become a full-time job.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06And when things go wrong,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10they can be difficult cases for inspectors to deal with.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's a wet Oldham morning,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19and Vicki McDonald has picked up her first call of the day.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22We've got an allegation of something in the region
0:13:22 > 0:13:26of 50 rabbits being kept in the garden of this premises.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29They're in poor living conditions,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33so we're hoping that it doesn't turn into anything too bad.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39When you get a call that's involving large numbers of animals,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43you hope that it's not quite as bad as is being described.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49But first impressions aren't good.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50It is very muddy.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- I mean, there's a lot of poo. - Yeah. Definitely...
0:13:52 > 0:13:54They are in need of cleaning out.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Vicki and colleague, Inspector Mel Fury, need to talk to the
0:13:57 > 0:13:58owner of the rabbits.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03Hiya, we're from the RSPCA, we've had a call about your rabbits.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04When we met the lady,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07it was almost like she's kind of been expecting us.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09How many have you got altogether out there?
0:14:09 > 0:14:11I think there's about 40.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Right. Okey-doke.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16We could see, just from looking over the wall, that
0:14:16 > 0:14:19it was a welly boot job, for sure.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21It was a quagmire out there.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25How many did you originally have?
0:14:25 > 0:14:29- When I was at the last house, we had over 100.- Right.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32There were hutches and hutches and hutches.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35I don't think she was entirely sure herself of the exact numbers
0:14:35 > 0:14:36that she had there.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- Eight in here at the top.- Yeah.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42A quick headcount reveals there are 48 rabbits,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and Vicki's not happy about some of the conditions.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47They are in need of cleaning out.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Yeah, I know, I've got the stuff there.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51There were other family members who also had
0:14:51 > 0:14:54ownership of some of the rabbits, but I think most of the care
0:14:54 > 0:14:57was falling down to this particular lady.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58And she was struggling.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03I think what we do need to do is get it down to a number that is more
0:15:03 > 0:15:07easily managed and then that number that you have are all neutered.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The owner had been thinking about re-homing some of the rabbits.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16What would be a sensible number to keep, then, maybe five, ten?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19They start to identify which ones can go.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- That one will be kept. - So that one will be kept down there.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23She's talking about signing over
0:15:23 > 0:15:25something in the region of 40 rabbits.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29So logistically, we have a bit of work on our hands.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Vicki and Mel want to get this job completed today.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37All right, who do we have here?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42In pouring rain, they begin moving the rabbits from the muddy garden.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Is one of these Sherlock? The grey one? OK, that's fine.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48He's just one big ball of fur, isn't he?
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Here you go, Lionel.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Getting a bit chilly and a bit wet.
0:15:57 > 0:15:58We've got a long way to go yet.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01As they box them up,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Vicki notices that some of the rabbits aren't in great shape.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I think we'll have her on her own.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12This one's got overgrown teeth. So they'll need to be clipped.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13Oh, dear.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16They all need to be checked over by the vet.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Are you all right?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21It's a lot to deal with in one day, isn't it?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24As the hutches empty, the owner starts to feel the strain.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27She was upset, and I don't blame her for that, she was attached
0:16:27 > 0:16:29to them and no-one likes to give up their animals.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32I think you're doing the right thing here.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35But she knew that it needed sorting.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The owner is struggling to say goodbye to the number they agreed.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43How many more have we got for re-homing?
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Well...
0:16:46 > 0:16:50They're starting to haggle a bit on the numbers that stay.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53So I think we might need to make some agreements.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Seeing the situation is causing upset,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Vicki decides to reduce how many rabbits they take today.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04My personal opinion is I'd like to get below 20.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Because even we've still kind of crept up
0:17:06 > 0:17:10from where we were at the start of the day.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13I'm trying very hard to do this
0:17:13 > 0:17:18on a friendly, helpful basis.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20But I don't think what they realise is that
0:17:20 > 0:17:24some of these are potentially not in great nick.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31But finally, three vehicles filled with 28 rabbits
0:17:31 > 0:17:32are ready to head off.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34All right, in you go.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I'm not going to be the vet's favourite person today.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46When we got to the vet's,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49each of the rabbits needed to be examined more closely.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52This one's got a very nasty eye infection.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55This is going to be causing the rabbit a lot of discomfort
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and it's going to be quite painful for her.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01It was really quite sad that, upon closer examination,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03these rabbits really, really, weren't very well.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06He's quite skinny.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09What starts out as just one or two becomes three or four,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12becomes five and six, becomes ten, 20, 30, 40.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Ultimately, you get to a stage where for whatever reason,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19it's not possible to meet the needs of all of those animals.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21And the situation here is getting worse.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23It's not looking so good for him, really.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Vet Amy Edwards thinks most of the rabbits have a contagious disease.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30He's got a bit of staining around its nose, as well.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Not a very good sign.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Pretty much all these rabbits seem to have quite severe
0:18:35 > 0:18:37respiratory infection.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40They've got something which is usually known as snuffles.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42It isn't good news cos it's very infectious,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46especially in a confined environment like they have been in, a lot of
0:18:46 > 0:18:50rabbits can and do die from it, even despite attempts at treating it.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It's a devastating development for Vicki,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58as the contagious rabbits cannot now be re-homed as she'd hoped.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03It was a really sad outcome, because my entire intention
0:19:03 > 0:19:07throughout was to hopefully re-home these rabbits.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08All right.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11When we realised what the extent of the sickness was,
0:19:11 > 0:19:16I felt it only right to go back and explain to her what had happened.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21It's quite a serious condition, and it's only going to spread,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24and only going to get worse, and they're all going to need
0:19:24 > 0:19:26treatment, so we need to go straight back to her now,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and advise her what's happened with these
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and what she needs to do with the ones that are remaining.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Hi, can I bob in a minute?
0:19:38 > 0:19:43I've got a bit of a tricky situation that I need to discuss with you.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46We've been to the vet's. The rabbits really aren't well.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Every single one of them has got snuffles, every single one.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52And I'm absolutely gutted,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I'm gutted for me and I'm gutted for you.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58It's late, dark, and wet.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59Oh, the heavens are opening.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02But it's vital they check the remaining rabbits for any
0:20:02 > 0:20:04signs of the disease.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07You see, that's a yes.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Sadly, many of them have.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Yeah, that's a definite. So all bar one in there.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Oh, crikey, Charlie. This is not a good day, is it?
0:20:19 > 0:20:20Vicki has no choice
0:20:20 > 0:20:25but to caution the owner for failing to properly care for the rabbits.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence
0:20:28 > 0:20:30if you do not mention when questioned something
0:20:30 > 0:20:32which you later rely on in court.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37It's a very sad situation, and it's very unfortunate, but she
0:20:37 > 0:20:41accepts what's happened today, she accepts what's happened at the vet's,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and it is sad, and it wasn't the outcome that we wanted by any means.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57The RSPCA doesn't just look after pets.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Every year they rescue and treat over 16,000 wild animals.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10East Winch in Norfolk is one of the UK's biggest wildlife
0:21:10 > 0:21:12rehabilitation centres.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19At East Winch, we rescue, we rehabilitate,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21we release British wildlife.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24We get normally about 4,000 to 5,000 in every year.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31The team here is led by hands-on centre manager, Alison Charles.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33It's unusual, my job, because, I mean, most managers
0:21:33 > 0:21:35don't go hands-on,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38go into the kitchen and prepare feed, or anything like that.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40But for me, it's important that I'm with the staff.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42And at busy times, you know, the animals are most important,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45the paperwork can wait.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48From dusk till dawn, 365 days a year,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52the centre helps all species of British wildlife.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53There isn't really a typical day,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56you never know what's going to turn up, it could be absolutely anything.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I start normally at 8.00, and it ends when it ends.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It's dirty, it's messy, it's certainly not glamorous.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07The wildlife is very demanding, it's not easy and they are sick
0:22:07 > 0:22:10as well, so it's not just that you have to feed them, clean them,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14you have to try and get them well, you are rehabilitating them.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18The team treat thousands of birds here every year.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22But yesterday, a patient with a rather unusual injury was
0:22:22 > 0:22:24admitted, needing emergency care.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Veterinary officer Mhairi Fleming is looking after it.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31This buzzard here can't fly,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34he seems to have some broken feathers on his right wing.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36The buzzard came in from Lincolnshire, and he was found in a
0:22:36 > 0:22:40field, and all his primary feathers and his tail feathers were cut off,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43so, quite bizarre, we've never seen anything quite like that before.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46I'm just checking the long bones just to feel for any
0:22:46 > 0:22:48fractures or dislocations.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53For some reason, the feather have just been bent and broken off.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57It's an unusual injury.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00But when the buzzard is X-rayed, the puzzle starts to unravel.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So this bird has been shot.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Buzzards are sometimes targeted
0:23:06 > 0:23:09because they're thought to feed on game birds.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Mhairi thinks the shot wound will be fine,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15but she's not sure how the feathers have been broken.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Seems to be only the one piece of shot,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19so we may be able to get away with this.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22What we'll do is cover him with some antibiotics,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26and then have a think about trying to fix his feathers.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30The buzzard is taken away for treatment.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34But for now, a new patient needs urgent attention.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Hiya. What have you got here?
0:23:39 > 0:23:44One goose. With fishing line, round its leg.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50The Canada goose was brought in by an inspector, and had horrible
0:23:50 > 0:23:54fishing line all round its leg, so in a bit of a poor state, really.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Oh, that looks nasty.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00The surrounding Norfolk waterways are popular with anglers and sadly,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04that means East Winch sees its fair share of fishing-related injuries.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08You can see that the fishing line's gone all the way round,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and it's digging into the leg and cutting off the circulation,
0:24:11 > 0:24:12causing swelling.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17Mhairi begins the careful job of unwinding the fishing line
0:24:17 > 0:24:20that is cutting into the Canada goose's leg.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24It's just like cheese wire, so as soon as it wraps round the leg,
0:24:24 > 0:24:25it just digs in deeper and deeper
0:24:25 > 0:24:29until it cuts through the tissues, which is what's happened here.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It remains to be seen whether this leg swelling's going to go down
0:24:32 > 0:24:34back to normal or not.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Unfortunately, sometimes they are left with a compromised leg,
0:24:38 > 0:24:39but only time will tell.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41The trouble with fishing line is that, yeah,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44eventually, you'll amputate limbs because it just slices
0:24:44 > 0:24:47through their skin and then through their tendons and muscle.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And it's just a really horrible injury. And just so unnecessary.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Hopefully, this goose has been rescued in time.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00With its leg now free, the wound can be treated and left to heal.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Six weeks later, there's a fluttering of feathers
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and exciting news from the centre's aviary.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19The grounded buzzard that was brought in after being shot
0:25:19 > 0:25:21has undergone treatment to get airborne again.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Both wings and his tail feathers were gone.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29So he couldn't actually fly, and we obviously couldn't release him.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30And the only options were put him
0:25:30 > 0:25:34to sleep or try to imp his feathers. And imping is where you put feathers
0:25:34 > 0:25:38from a dead bird into the existing feathers on a bird that's alive.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42And you use a bit of superglue and a little bit more dead bird feather
0:25:42 > 0:25:45to attach the two together, so it's a bit like having hair extensions.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48But obviously much better. And it enables him to fly.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52And the buzzard's fancy new feather extensions
0:25:52 > 0:25:55seem to be working a treat.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59When he moults his feathers normally, those sort of extra bits
0:25:59 > 0:26:01will be lost and he'll get his proper feather through, and
0:26:01 > 0:26:04when we're 100% happy with him, then we'll release him.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09And for Alison and the team,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13releasing animals back into the wild is what it's all about.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18At a nearby lake, it's time for the Canada goose
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and its mate to spread their wings again.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25The goose's leg has healed from the fishing line injury
0:26:25 > 0:26:27and it's fully fit.
0:26:27 > 0:26:28Off you go.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31So bottom-first, it heads back to where it belongs.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Not all releases are plain sailing though.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44This heron is also ready to go.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47But only if Alison can get her hands on it.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50It's tricky catching herons.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54They're wildlife, they're scared, they're in a strange place.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58So we just go in there quietly and not get bitten,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01or not get scratched, and certainly try not to get pooed on.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04It may be fast now, but when it arrived,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07it was seriously ill after colliding with a boat.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12We try to make it as fast and as smooth as we can,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15cos it's a big day for the heron.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17He's going back into the wild, and after being so sick
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and, you know, you want to make it as smooth as possible.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Which, that was very good, so very pleased with that.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28You never quite know with herons, whether they're really fit enough,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32whether they'll sit on the ground, whether he'll fly well,
0:27:32 > 0:27:33what he'll do.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36So it's a bit of an interesting one when you release herons.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46The heron's just one of around 1,000 birds Alison
0:27:46 > 0:27:50and her team return back to the wild every year.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I love wildlife and I love being able to put it back out in the wild.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57To know that you've done the best you can while they're in care,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59when they're sick, injured and probably quite scared,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and then you've returned them to the wild in a fit, healthy state,
0:28:02 > 0:28:03it's just fantastic.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06He's looking fabulous. He's going to get a second chance
0:28:06 > 0:28:08at survival now, so hopefully he'll be fine.