0:00:01 > 0:00:04Good afternoon, RSPCA control centre.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07What animal is your call regarding today?
0:00:07 > 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 > 0:00:17So, they're left outside in all weathers and 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 > 0:00:55So close.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00..rescuing everything from injured wildlife to neglected pets...
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Every shift is a challenge.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05CAT GROWLS
0:01:05 > 0:01:06Rhea, one, RSPCA, nil.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10There's no such thing as a typical day as an RSPCA inspector.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Get... Oh, my Lord!
0:01:13 > 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? That's disgusting!- Whoa, there!
0:01:19 > 0:01:23It can get to the point where you feel like you're banging your head against a brick wall.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It's dirty, sweaty...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28It stuns me sometimes, the smells that I come across.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29- SHE CHOKES - Sorry.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31There's not a lot a lot of glamour in my role.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Even if you've just helped one animal...
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Hi, mate.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37..it's worth it.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Today, on the run, an exotic visitor to the Sussex countryside...
0:01:58 > 0:01:59So what's going to happen now then?
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Inspector Emma Ellis struggles to help a man and his dog.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09And the seals nursed back to health and heading for the wild.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11She's keen.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21At the National Control Centre, far-fetched calls are common...
0:02:23 > 0:02:24Right.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Yeah, I mean, we've had sightings of Bigfoot.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Beast of Bodmin Moor once.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Yeah, I don't dispute you there, sir, I don't dispute you.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Last Boxing Day, I received an anonymous call.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39He was trying to tell me that there was a humpback whale in his pond...
0:02:39 > 0:02:40with a horse hanging out of it.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47And they have a practised way of dealing with them.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51You know, but you've got to like, try not to laugh.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53OK.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Hello, is there anybody there?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Hello... It's gone.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01He's hung up on me.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07But sometimes, the incredible turns out to be true.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23An emu in rural Sussex may sound unlikely
0:03:23 > 0:03:26but there is another call.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Intrigued, local inspector Tony Woodley sets off to investigate...
0:03:42 > 0:03:44..and he can't believe what he finds.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I was quite shocked, actually, to see
0:03:46 > 0:03:50the bird just stood in the middle of the field, and there it was.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Not an ostrich, but actually a rhea.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02It comes from South America, and they're up to about six foot tall.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Large, flightless birds, can't fly at all
0:04:05 > 0:04:08and they're designed for running, very powerful legs.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I thought that this was going to be a challenge.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It wasn't immediately apparent that we were going to be able to
0:04:16 > 0:04:17catch this bird.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22On site is one of the callers who first spotted the bird.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I know it was seen last night for the first time.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27We've actually had reports, I've just heard,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31of there being a big bird in this area for a while.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Oh, really?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36It's been a bit of a myth for a few weeks.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39It's certainly no myth.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Tony may have no idea how the rhea got there, but it's very real,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and very fast.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Ideally, you don't want them to run.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Once they start running, they'll just run past you.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Oh, absolutely.- What we want to do is try and walk it, quietly.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Once it started running, it was going to be very difficult to catch it.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03I can actually see my colleagues at the moment, running across that field.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04I don't know where the bird is.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09A rhea can run at speeds approaching 40 miles an hour.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Catching it is going to be near impossible.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14But they decide to try.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Could be fun.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The thing with these large birds is that you're not going to outrun them.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But what you've got to try and think about is the environment, look at
0:05:24 > 0:05:28what you can use to try and drive it in the direction that you want to.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31With years of experience catching wildlife,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Tony and the team know they need a plan.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I managed to get quite a large blanket and the idea was,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47if we can get it cornered, perhaps we may be able to actually
0:05:47 > 0:05:49throw the blanket over its head, because that will actually
0:05:49 > 0:05:53help the bird to be quieter, if you can get a blanket over its head.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57The plan is that we're going to try and draw it up this way, try and
0:05:57 > 0:06:01use this bit of fence, to try and funnel it into this tennis court.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03With the odds stacked against them,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05the team starts to move towards the rhea.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13But the bird isn't fooled! It's quickly off in the other direction.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18It looks quite comical and, you know,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20we did have a bit of a laugh between us.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23But I didn't really want it to turn into a Benny Hill sketch too much.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29After giving them the run-around, the rhea spots an escape route.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Oh, no, don't go through there!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39It's managed to... I'm not going to say outfox us,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42but...or outthink us, certainly it's outrun us.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50With the rhea nowhere in sight, the team is forced to admit defeat...
0:06:50 > 0:06:51Oh, dear.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55..and a bit of South America is alive and well in the British countryside.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01It was disappointing that we hadn't caught it. I wasn't overly
0:07:01 > 0:07:04worried about its welfare because I'd seen the bird itself
0:07:04 > 0:07:07was in good condition, and the conditions in that area are actually
0:07:07 > 0:07:11not too bad. This bird's probably going to survive reasonably well.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It's disappointing, but Tony will have to wait till it
0:07:15 > 0:07:19"rheas" its head again before he gets another chance.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23Today, I think its rhea, one, and RSPCA, nil.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Oh!
0:07:32 > 0:07:36There are some calls that the RSPCA hears day in, day out.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And what animal are you calling about there?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Dogs with itchy skin conditions are one of the most common.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Bradford inspector Emma Ellis is investigating this latest call.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14When Emma arrives, owner Darius, and his dog Pipi are outside.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Hello!
0:08:18 > 0:08:22He's a very good dog. He's very nice.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23She's had puppies, has she?
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Only one?
0:08:27 > 0:08:31You could see that there was a problem, that the dog had hair loss.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34So, this...have you had this looked at, this skin condition?
0:08:34 > 0:08:37You could see that there was something that was obviously going to
0:08:37 > 0:08:38be irritating the dog.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The dog had clearly been scratching at it.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49You need to take her to a vets.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52A private vets then, or the RSPCA vets.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Well, it depends what's wrong with her.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- Nothing, I think only this.- No, there is something wrong with her
0:08:57 > 0:08:59because she's got a skin problem
0:08:59 > 0:09:01and she's very itchy.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04I don't like having conversations with people on the street, so we go
0:09:04 > 0:09:07inside and see that obviously there is a very young puppy in there.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Hello, gorgeous! Hello!
0:09:12 > 0:09:14A closer look at the dog,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18it becomes clear how much this skin condition will be affecting her.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20If it's something like mange,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- she could quite easily pass it on to the puppy as well, yeah? - Oh, right.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- So we don't want that to happen. Yeah?- Obviously.- OK.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30The more itchy she is, and the more she bites at it,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34and the more she scratches herself, the more it's going to hurt her.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35The more it will hurt her, yeah.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- Which is what we want to avoid, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It's clear that Darius really loves his dog.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46But keeping a pet is an expensive business
0:09:46 > 0:09:48so Emma decides to help him.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50If you want me to, I can phone up and try
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- and make an appointment for you. - Please, yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Yeah? OK, no worries.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Hello, can I make an appointment for someone please?
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Emma manages to get Darius in at the local RSPCA centre...
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Perfect, you're a superstar. Thanks, Karen!
0:10:05 > 0:10:08..which will be much cheaper than a private practice.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- So, if you miss this appointment... - Oh, no.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13OK, that's it, you won't be able to go there.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Oh, no, no, I'm going to go there, definitely.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19All right? And that's my serious head, all right?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21It's not good enough to leave her like that.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Emma's trusting Darius to get Pipi seen to
0:10:26 > 0:10:30but she's also got concerns about the puppy's long-term care.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34My advice to you, is once you've got her skin condition treated,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36that you get the puppy rehomed
0:10:36 > 0:10:38because I don't think you can cope with two dogs,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40so think about that, OK?
0:10:40 > 0:10:43And then I will follow up with you next week to make sure that
0:10:43 > 0:10:44she's been to the vets.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- Yeah?- Definitely.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- OK.- Thank you very much.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50No problem, thank you, see you later.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Having literally handed everything to him on a plate, I was reasonably
0:10:56 > 0:11:01hopeful that he would do the very simple act of taking the dog to the
0:11:01 > 0:11:05vets, which was very close to him, and the situation would improve.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19But nine days later, Emma's optimism turns out to have been misplaced.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I checked with the vets today, and he hasn't been.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26He didn't turn up to the vets.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29So, we're going to go and check and see what's happening with the dog,
0:11:29 > 0:11:30so we'll see.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But when Emma arrives, her first problem isn't Darius,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38it's his neighbours.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39Hiya.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42It was heated before I even got out of the van.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Your son, where is he?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- OFF CAMERA:- Oi! Who the- BLEEP...
0:11:48 > 0:11:49Excuse me?
0:11:49 > 0:11:53People came from all over the place with a very strange attitude.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56The atmosphere was very volatile...
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Whoa, there!
0:11:58 > 0:12:01..with people that had absolutely nothing to do with the dog.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03What's it got to do with you? Hang on!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06I didn't need to be dealing with them, so I just wanted them to go away.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07So just do one!
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Right, is your son in?
0:12:11 > 0:12:13SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Is he in?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Verbal abuse is like water off a duck's back, unfortunately.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22And it's something we deal with very regularly.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24It's not a great start
0:12:24 > 0:12:28but Emma's priority is finding out why Darius hasn't been to the vets.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29So, what's happened, then?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- You can't find it?- I can't find it. - Really?- I'm really...
0:12:36 > 0:12:37Right.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39When you go out of your way to make sure that there was this
0:12:39 > 0:12:42appointment for him, and then he hadn't even bothered to go,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44it drives me absolutely mad.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46You actually didn't try, did you?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49No, I'll try, lovely, I'll try.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Well, I don't believe you.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Pipi still needs to see a vet, but unless Darius can
0:12:55 > 0:12:59pay for private care, his options are now limited.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01So what's going to happen now, then?
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Well, I don't know, I don't know what to do.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09The veterinary appointment was made for the sake of the dog.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11And the fact that he hadn't done that means the dog is
0:13:11 > 0:13:14continuing in the same situation which he
0:13:14 > 0:13:17just didn't seem to get. He just didn't seem to understand that.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19What on earth are you going to do then?
0:13:19 > 0:13:22- Are you just going to leave the dog to get worse?- No!
0:13:30 > 0:13:33It's obvious to Emma that Darius isn't coping with Pipi
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and her puppy.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40He seemed very unattached from the whole situation
0:13:40 > 0:13:43until somebody arrived at the door.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45OFF-CAMERA SHOUTING IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Whoa there, whoa there, everyone chill!
0:13:49 > 0:13:50And then, all hell broke loose.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Whoa! What's going on?
0:13:52 > 0:13:54HE SHOUTS WILDLY
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- Please go out from my house. - Darius, Darius! OK, calm down.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Hang on, hang on, hang on.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02What you're saying is you want to sign the dog over then? Yeah, OK.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09In a sudden change of heart, Darius says he wants Emma to take the dogs.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I don't know what else is going on outside of it, but what
0:14:12 > 0:14:16I am concerned about is what's going to happen with the dog, all right?
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Even though she thinks it's for the best,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23she needs to make sure he's not acting in the heat of the moment.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I can see you're upset, but do you not think it's the best
0:14:26 > 0:14:28thing for the dog to go somewhere else?
0:14:30 > 0:14:34After prolonged conversation, he eventually agreed to sign
0:14:34 > 0:14:37both the mother and the puppy over.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Come on, then.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I'm pleased, because I think it's the right thing for the dogs.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45He's obviously really upset,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and I think he genuinely does care about them, but he just
0:14:48 > 0:14:51hasn't got the wherewithal to be doing what he needs to do.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Emma can finally get the dogs to the vets...
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Clever girl!
0:14:59 > 0:15:00..and they're both checked over.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Thankfully, the skin condition was nothing serious,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and she recovered brilliantly and very quickly.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13The puppy was rehomed, and the mother, she's up for rehoming.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18It's just satisfying knowing that our intervention has meant
0:15:18 > 0:15:21those two dogs are going to have a very, very happy life.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35The RSPCA is often called to animals that have been badly treated,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37many, deliberately...
0:15:38 > 0:15:42But sometimes even the most caring of owners can inadvertently
0:15:42 > 0:15:43harm their animals.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49At Manchester Animal Hospital, Tracy Mainwaring and her daughter Kia
0:15:49 > 0:15:53are bringing their beloved German Shepherd, Zeus, to see David Yates.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Zeus Mainwaring?
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Zeus has been limping badly and Tracy's worried.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Come on through. Are you OK?
0:16:02 > 0:16:03Yeah, I'm all right.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Zeus is a lovely looking young German Shepherd who was
0:16:07 > 0:16:10full of beans and energy when he came into the consulting room.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Do you want to tell me a bit about your dog?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15He's in great health, he's perfectly fine.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17He was running, and I don't know whether he's done it when he's
0:16:17 > 0:16:21been running, but the other day, he was limping, lifting it up.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26At first glance, Zeus looks like a normal, healthy dog.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29So, how much exercise has he been getting?
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Well, normally he has about three to four hours a day.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33Three or four hours a day?
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Yeah, two in the morning, two at night.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41That's great to see a pet that's exercising and receiving all
0:16:41 > 0:16:44that care and attention, but I did have concern that, because of
0:16:44 > 0:16:48his age, that this may be a factor in the lameness that he'd got.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Now, when they're young dogs,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53they've got what's called growth plates, you know where the cartilage
0:16:53 > 0:16:56is in the bones? So that's probably a bit too much, that, for him.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57Right.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01You know, you can traumatise the growth plates, which can, you know,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04make them a bit lame.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Zeus is a young dog, and he's still growing.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09He's still got fairly immature bones.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11All right, Zeus, all right.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15A German Shepherd is a large, powerful dog,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19but it can take a couple of years before it reaches skeletal maturity,
0:17:19 > 0:17:24as we'd say, you know, where its bones are solid and strong.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I would think that three or four hours off lead,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31running around, bouncing and chasing a ball, was excessive.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33I think you're probably best doing little and often.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Zeus also has a bad ear infection and so David decides to
0:17:40 > 0:17:43sedate him, to make examination of both areas easier.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46All right.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Once Zeus is out, David sets to work on a thorough
0:17:49 > 0:17:52examination of his legs and shoulders.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So I'm just having a feel of all the different joints,
0:17:57 > 0:17:58just to check the movement on them.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Yeah, you can tell he's well-exercised,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04his claws are worn down.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06I'm just testing his hips a little bit.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08His left hip, we'll just make a little note,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10that's moving more than it should.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13But he's still young, so don't worry about it.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17But could Zeus's ear infection be related to his
0:18:17 > 0:18:19exercise regime as well?
0:18:19 > 0:18:21You can see, deep down in the canal there, there's quite
0:18:21 > 0:18:24a lot of debris. We're going to have to give that a good clean.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Swimming is good in terms of exercise.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It's not very good for ears.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35You get all kinds of weird bugs growing down here
0:18:35 > 0:18:38if you get water stuck down there.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40I'm just putting this cleaner down his ear.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42You'll see in a minute what we get out of this.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Water in the ear canal of a dog can be problematic,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and can make it more likely to have infections in the future.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Especially if their head is going underneath the water,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56that will be problematic for the normal function of the ear.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00I'll just tilt his head over, wait.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09The ear infection is treatable, but Tracy
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and Kia now face an anxious wait while Zeus's legs are x-rayed.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16Only then will they discover
0:19:16 > 0:19:21whether the dog's exercise regime has caused permanent damage.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25We've been told at least three to four hours every day,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and now I've just found out that maybe it's been a bit too much
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and maybe we're responsible for the damage
0:19:30 > 0:19:34so, it's not sitting too well with me at the moment.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36But we'll see what happens.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38I think rather than upsetting an owner saying,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41"Oh, that's ridiculous, too much exercise," I think
0:19:41 > 0:19:43it's quite handy to talk around the subject
0:19:43 > 0:19:47and say how bones develop and to show these kind of things on X-ray.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Finally, David is able to deliver his verdict on Zeus.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57The x-rays are good news and there's no obvious bone abnormality.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58German shepherds are great guard dogs.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01They're highly intelligent, but I don't think they're
0:20:01 > 0:20:04the best for like, chasing Frisbees or chasing balls and things.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08I think what I would say at this stage is just to rest him.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- All of it looks fine at this stage, all right? - Great, lovely, thank you.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The owner's really keen to do the right thing by her dog
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and I just feel if we rein in the exercise
0:20:18 > 0:20:21and some of her expectation about what this dog should be doing, I
0:20:21 > 0:20:24think we've probably got, you know, we'll get the right balance there.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Hello, babe, how're you doing? Hey.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31But it's great to see a dog being channelled in that direction
0:20:31 > 0:20:34rather than sitting at home or sitting in a kennel all day,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36not receiving any attention.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39We thought that he'd broke his leg or something like that,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43but now we know that he's been x-rayed and got everything, and everything's absolutely brilliant.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46So, I feel a bit guilty that we've over-walked him slightly,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50but, yeah, apart from that, we're happy. Definitely.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Dealing with wildlife can take inspectors far and wide.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And not just up mountain and down dale.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Pembrokeshire, on the beautiful Welsh coast,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18is a popular breeding area for Atlantic grey seals
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and local inspector, Keith Hogben, is often called out to help
0:21:21 > 0:21:23seals in difficulty.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29From the middle of August, right up to sort of end of November,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32we're constantly getting calls about seal pups,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37either in distress or been abandoned by their mum, or being injured.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41One such call has just come in.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00It's a beautiful day, and when Keith arrives,
0:22:00 > 0:22:05there are lots of holidaymakers enjoying the late summer sun.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Plenty of people out, isn't there?
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Unfortunately we're an inquisitive bunch, and instead of leaving
0:22:13 > 0:22:16something well alone, we will go up to something and look at it,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and even if you've got the dog on the lead, it's causing distress
0:22:20 > 0:22:25to the seal pup because it's not normal for the dog to be there.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28The seal was spotted a mile up the coast.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30So, Keith hikes up the cliff path to find it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39After a 40 minute walk, Keith spots two large adult seals
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and there's a baby seal nearby.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Oh, wow, look at that.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49That's how they should be, you know? Fantastic, aren't they?
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Thankfully, Keith thinks it's a false alarm.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57When we found this one, it was in its normal surroundings.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The seal pup will stay up in the rocks
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and the mum would be out at sea, feeding and hunting herself,
0:23:02 > 0:23:07before going off to feed the pup, so its environment was fine.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10And then, Keith gets further reassurance all is well.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16A big bonus was seeing the pup feeding from mum itself,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18you know, that was really good to see,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22and again it shows that it's normal behaviour, everything was fine.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29I think I probably sat on the rocks for 25 minutes just watching them.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36You get those days where you knock on doors
0:23:36 > 0:23:40and you see some horrendous things, and a lot of cruelty.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45To be able to go and see something like that was... Yeah, I'm very lucky.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55Thankfully, that seal pup was being looked after by its mum.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57But recent turbulent weather has seen a massive
0:23:57 > 0:24:01increase in injured and orphaned seals.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06At the RSPCA Specialist Centre in Norfolk, manager Alison Charles
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and her team, are struggling to cope with the influx.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16This year has been absolutely crackers.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18We've got 108 at the last count,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20seals in the building, so quite busy.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Put the fish in the corner...
0:24:23 > 0:24:26The seals need round-the-clock care while they're being treated,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and their strength built back up.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31And it's a lengthy process.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33It takes a long, long time to get them over whatever
0:24:33 > 0:24:38they came in with and then get them fit for release, get them built up.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40It's not a quick process at all.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44But for all their hard work,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47the team don't get much thanks from their petulant patients.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51The seals are quite tricky, really.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Even when they're sick, they're actually quite strong.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57We've got one at the minute that just... You step over the wall
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and it wants to eat you.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Meet Queen-Size, the largest lassie on the block.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13This super-sized grey might be all mouth now, but she arrived in a very
0:25:13 > 0:25:18sorry state after getting caught up in discarded fishing tackle.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Queen-Size had a lot of netting embedded in her neck.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28We had to wait for four days to actually get her fit enough
0:25:28 > 0:25:32to sedate her, and then actually pull the netting out of her neck.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35It was so deeply embedded, it was just awful.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41She's recovering well, but her wounds still need regular cleaning.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45It's a job only for the brave.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49She's so strong.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51She's massive, isn't she?
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Because Queen-Size is quite a big girl,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55we need quite a lot of us to handle her.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56Good girl.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58You don't sit on a seal that size
0:25:58 > 0:26:01unless you've got force that you can actually trust to sit behind you.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Yeah, that looks quite good. Quite pleased with that.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11She's a feisty girl, she certainly is, but she's brilliant, I love her.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16It will be a while before Queen-Size is ready to be released
0:26:16 > 0:26:17back into the wild.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22But for these two seals, Nefertiti and Princess Fiona,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24there's a faint whiff of freedom.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Their outdoor pool has been drained, so they can be weighed
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and hopefully given the green light to go.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I'd like them to be 40 kilos because they're female grey seals
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and that's the release weight that we're after.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41They were 34 kilos last time we weighed them.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43I'll have a little look.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46When we went in and caught them up, they were really quite feisty,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and having a go at us.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50That's not a bad thing.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Seals that want to bite you at this stage is fantastic,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55it means we've done our work properly, and they're still wild.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56That's great stuff.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00SEAL BARKS
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Oh, dear. 35, tops.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Right, she's not going anywhere.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13She doesn't sound best pleased.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Will the scales tip in Nefertiti's favour?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Ah, that's more promising. That's a bit better.
0:27:20 > 0:27:2440. You can guess who's been eating the fish in this pool.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27It's good. That means she can go.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33It's the end of a long journey for Nefertiti.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Found on a beach five months ago,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38she's been slowly nursed back to health.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44She's just one of 55 seals that were successfully
0:27:44 > 0:27:48returned to the wild last year by Alison and her team.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Oh! Don't go yet.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58She's keen. Wow.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00She caught it on a nice, muddy day,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02so she had a nice gentle slide into the river.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And that one moment when they splosh into the water,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08and you just think, you know, "It's down to you now,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10"you've got a second chance, off you go.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14"Go make the most of it." You just think, "Yeah, job done."