0:00:01 > 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 > 0:00:2124 hours a day, 365 days a year.
0:00:21 > 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 > 0:00:35All right, take care, bye-bye. Got 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...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43He's got no shelter, there's no food...
0:00:43 > 0:00:45They just leave it there all the time.
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 > 0:01:04Every 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!
0:01:13 > 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, it's disgusting.- Whoa there!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22It can get to the point where you feel like you're banging your head
0:01:22 > 0:01:23against 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 > 0:01:31There's not a lot a lot of glamour in my role.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35But even if you've just helped one animal...
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Hi, mate.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37..it's worth it.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53Today, the rescued tropical fish living life in the slow lane.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55I'm building up quite a queue of traffic behind me,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57but I can't upset these fish, really.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01A caring dog owner gives his beloved pet a second chance.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Take care now, boy, right?
0:02:03 > 0:02:06And Molly the mare
0:02:06 > 0:02:08gives inspector Chris Shaw the run around.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11I'm feeling pretty useless at the moment.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Every day, each inspector follows up around ten different calls
0:02:20 > 0:02:22made to the RSPCA.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25I'll send this through to an officer now for you.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30Some jobs will turn out exactly as the caller describes.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Yep, I don't dispute you there, sir, I don't dispute you.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37But often, there's a surprise in store.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55In Peterborough, Justin Stubbs arrives at the house
0:02:55 > 0:02:57looking for abandoned birds.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59But he's in for a shock.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03The birds have gone. In their entirety.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07With the aviary deserted, Justin's about to leave.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10But he makes a final check around the property...
0:03:10 > 0:03:11Wow.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14..And there's a surprising discovery.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It was slightly odd, insomuch as I then turned around
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and looked in the window of the house, only to see a fish tank.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Containing a good quantity of fish.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Haven't a clue what they are, don't really know my fish well.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30They look like one of the pirate ones, out of Finding Nemo.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32In a nice, tropical fish tank,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34switched on, everything looks to be OK with it.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Obviously still got to get them out because nobody's attending to them.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It might seem almost laughable to some people,
0:03:43 > 0:03:49but the law says that every vertebrate is a protected animal.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Fish are vertebrates, ie - they've got a spine,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54so they've got the same protection as whales,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57dogs, cats, cows, horses,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and they've still got the same right to be protected from various things.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06But rescuing the fish isn't going to be simple.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10'At this point, I need to have a vet certify that
0:04:10 > 0:04:12'that animal can be removed for its welfare.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Thank you for coming out, much appreciated.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'Then we have to call the police to gain entry to the property.'
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Morning, Chris. How you doing?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23And also the housing association, who essentially,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25they own that house.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Not forgetting a fourth member of the team,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33whose task is to gain access to the house.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38None of us are going to fit through there, let's face it.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45To have to call out the police and the vets and the housing people,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and the housing people call out the locksmiths,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49I've never had to do that before.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52So it was a lot of people for...fish.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Once inside, vet Cees Bennett quickly agrees
0:04:56 > 0:04:58the fish need to be removed.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03If they don't get fed on a regular basis, they will suffer or die.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Which is why we're removing them. Because you can't say
0:05:05 > 0:05:07if a fish is suffering or not, it's really hard.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10In this case, let's remove them, for their welfare.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13But the tank is simply too heavy to move.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- It's going to weigh a lot isn't it? - It's going to weigh a lot.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18The first bit was to take a lot of water out of that tank.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It weighed a tonne.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24So we had to get rid of at least half of that water before we'd
0:05:24 > 0:05:25even thought about lifting it all up.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30But their options for removing the water are somewhat limited.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I don't go around with buckets in the van, and the only thing
0:05:33 > 0:05:36in the house to empty it with is a pint glass and a mop bucket.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39I don't want to stick the mop bucket in the water, it's got bleach in it,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42so we're just going to have to empty a load of water from this
0:05:42 > 0:05:44before we can...before we can move it.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48So going to go nice and gently, don't want to upset the fish.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51It's going to take a little while.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53It's a time-consuming process.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01All the varied job of an RSPCA inspector and a vet, eh?
0:06:01 > 0:06:02THEY CHUCKLE
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- Got it? Got your side?- Yep.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Finally, the half-empty tank can be lifted out to Justin's van.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17To my van, then.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It's the first time I've had to move tropical fish,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24so, got to be a lot more gentle with them, they don't like being moved
0:06:24 > 0:06:29and transported and having their environment messed around with.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Excellent. Thank you, gents.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31The fish are in the van.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37But any sudden jolt could lead to fish fatalities.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I've got to do it all really gently and slowly.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46So it's a painfully slow journey to the local animal boarding centre.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I don't think I've ever driven so slowly in my life, it doesn't
0:06:52 > 0:06:56help when you've got 16 speed bumps and about seven roundabouts.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59So I'm building up quite a queue of traffic behind me, but I can't
0:06:59 > 0:07:01upset these fish, really, they could die of the stress.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09At the boarding centre, Justin's careful driving has paid off.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Oh, look, not a drop spilled.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17So we've got angel fish, a shark, and other weird things.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22As the fish are given time to recover from their ordeal...
0:07:22 > 0:07:25We'll slowly put the correct water in, in the correct manner,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and get the fish all back up to speed as they should be, really.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32..Justin is feeling optimistic.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33Job's a good 'un.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37I've personally dealt with everything from caterpillars
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and crickets, to alligators and whales.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42If it's domestic, we can re-home it.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44And for the most part, we've probably got a list of people
0:07:44 > 0:07:48somewhere who will want to take on that slightly different animal.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51At the end of the day, all of those animals are going to
0:07:51 > 0:07:54get the same treatment, the same protection, and the same right
0:07:54 > 0:07:57to a good, happy, comfortable life.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Rescuing tropical fish may be unusual, but every year
0:08:07 > 0:08:11the RSPCA takes around 700 horses into its care.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16But catching and transporting often abandoned
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and neglected equines is not a job for the faint-hearted.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24In Derby, inspector and horse-lover Chris Shaw
0:08:24 > 0:08:26responds to the latest call.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31We're on our way to try and catch a horse that's been abandoned.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34We've proved that the owner's not been coming back -
0:08:34 > 0:08:37we left a notice on the gate, which has expired.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Now it's literally just a case of trying to catch this mare.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Personally, I've worked with horses in the past
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and I've had horses of my own, so, I'm a bit experienced with
0:08:47 > 0:08:50horses and I'm used to catching difficult horses.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54But this particular horse may be too much for even Chris to handle.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57He's already made one unsuccessful attempt.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03So today he's returning with help -
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Rachael Andrews from the World Horse Welfare charity.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It's tricky to know which way to go about trying to catch her
0:09:11 > 0:09:13cos she's not really frightened of people,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15she just doesn't want to be caught, so she knows when she sees
0:09:15 > 0:09:17the head collar...to move away.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22When I went in the other Sunday, the first few minutes,
0:09:22 > 0:09:23she was all right with me.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25As soon as she cottoned on that I was after her,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28she watched me from a great distance.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The horse, Molly, is wary of Chris,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34so Rachael tries to get close enough to attach a head collar.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39But the female touch isn't working.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43She is a very clever mare. She knows what we're trying to do.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48I don't think she realises that if we do get her, she's going to
0:09:48 > 0:09:52go to a nice, lovely home, rather than being just left on her own.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59This mare was having none of it.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01There was just no way you could catch her,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and it was proving to be really quite frustrating.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06You can just see, though, the way she's standing there,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11looking at you, but with her hooves like ready to just go all the time.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16She had a twinkle in her eye, she was a clever girl,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18she really knew what she was doing.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20She was always one step ahead of us.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Oh, very nearly.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26The next idea I had was to go along to a vets
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and to get some kind of sedative, and try and feed her this sedative
0:10:30 > 0:10:34to just try and slow her down enough so that we could actually catch her.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36So I've got some bread, and we've got some sedation.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39A plan is hatched.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- I'll back off, leave you... - She's so wise to it, isn't she?
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Good girl.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Molly is beginning to act more relaxed around Rachael.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And she finally has an opportunity to get
0:10:48 > 0:10:50the sedative inside Molly's mouth.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55- She got quite a bit there.- It's in.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Not the way we wanted. - Yeah, I think that was the only way
0:10:57 > 0:10:59we were going to do it, really.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It's now a waiting game.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Kind of looking for signs that she's starting to look a little bit
0:11:04 > 0:11:07sedated. Her eyes will start to dilate a little bit,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10she'll start looking a little bit sleepy, sometimes their ears
0:11:10 > 0:11:13will sort of go slightly to the side, as if they're dozing.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16But Molly's definitely not dozing.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It was almost like she'd been given a can of Red Bull -
0:11:24 > 0:11:28she was suddenly rearing, bucking, and galloping around the field.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Chris is getting desperate,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and is tempted to take a less cautious approach.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Well, I'm just thinking, shall we just try and get her
0:11:36 > 0:11:40in a corner now, but then, are we going to end up getting killed?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44It's all just getting quite frustrating now, isn't it?
0:11:44 > 0:11:46I mean, you were so close, but yet so far.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Reluctantly, Chris has to call off the rescue for a second time.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Oh, I... You know, you almost want to just bang your head
0:11:55 > 0:11:58against a wall because you just feel so done-in about it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01It really does affect you.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I went home that day... You know, it wasn't a very good day
0:12:04 > 0:12:08at work at all, but you do get days like that unfortunately.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18Three days later,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23Chris returns to the field with more reinforcements, and a new plan.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29I actually called my chief, who's trained with a tranquiliser rifle.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32And called the vet to come and help us with this one.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Unfortunately, we've had to go for the last option,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and we're going to dart her, and then hopefully
0:12:38 > 0:12:41we can then get her loaded and get her off to her new home.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Whenever you're using a firearm, there's lots of risks involved,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48so we've got to do everything in a very controlled manner.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51First, Chief Inspector Simon Parker
0:12:51 > 0:12:55and vet Christine Jamieson need to assess the situation.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- I've got a five mil dart or a ten mil dart.- OK.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59She's big.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- She's 14 hands, I reckon.- Let me have a... Is she in there? Yeah?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07The vet wants to use as little tranquiliser as possible,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09so the team try small amounts at a time.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Totally confident I can get a dart into her.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19How she reacts afterwards is not an exact science.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Here she comes. Let her come up.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Molly moves within range.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Marksman Simon seizes his chance.
0:13:32 > 0:13:3312.20.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Note the time and then we'll just give her a few minutes.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Brilliant, you know, she's got the dart,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42she's going to start getting a bit slower,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44we're going to be able to catch her, that's when I really thought,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47this is all going to be sorted soon.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55She's not had enough.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And now we're going to unfortunately have to give her a bit of a top-up,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00so she needs some more sedation.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Another tranquiliser dart is fired.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10We're trying to use, if you like, mild sedatives to allow us
0:14:10 > 0:14:12to work with her, so she can still walk,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15rather than be on the floor, fully sedated, because if we got that
0:14:15 > 0:14:18situation, obviously, we can't get her out of the field.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23But this stubborn mare is still having none of it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28So they decide to increase the dose.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Third time lucky.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32That's gone in.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37She was really, really fighting that sedation.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40At that stage, I was really starting to get quite
0:14:40 > 0:14:42concerned about what we were going to do here.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45This is not going to plan at all, at the moment.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47She is obviously a fighter.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I'm feeling, yeah, pretty useless at the moment.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54But we're trying, we're doing everything we can.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58The decision was finally made to try one last dart.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07And then, finally, she started showing some signs of sedation
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and slowing down a little bit.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14And I just ran up, get the head collar on her.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17We knew we'd got her then.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Good girl, out of the field at last, eh?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26And then it was just a case of walking back up to the lorry,
0:15:26 > 0:15:27getting her loaded...
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Wow, chuffed to bits now,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33we've finally got her on the horsebox, so, brilliant stuff.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I felt a little bit overwhelmed at that stage,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40cos it was just such a good feeling to get her out of there,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42and get her to a better life, really.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49After weeks alone with no shelter, Molly now has a new home
0:15:49 > 0:15:50and new friends.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I love days like this, you know, when we get the result that we
0:15:55 > 0:15:58want, we get to take the animal and put it somewhere safe, you know.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03That's why I came into this work, so, a very, very happy inspector.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Hopefully, going to be a very happy horse.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16The RSPCA cover every bird, mammal, or fish in need of their help.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21But while all inspectors are animal-lovers,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25they can't know everything about every species.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Today, Kerry Gabriel has had a call about some owls,
0:16:29 > 0:16:30but she needs to cram up.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Just having a quick look through the Wildlife And Countryside Act
0:16:34 > 0:16:38just to see if there are any owls on any schedules of the legislation.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Because there are certain things you need to do if there are.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I don't think there are any, but I just want to double-check,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47because as I say, I haven't really dealt with many owl jobs.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51One of the good things about this job is, you don't
0:16:51 > 0:16:54know what you're going to be doing from one day to the next.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58This is the first time I've ever had a call about owls being
0:16:58 > 0:17:01kept by somebody. So it was definitely quite unusual.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03I'm used to dog and cat jobs, really.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07So, yeah, I was quite interested and quite excited, really, to see
0:17:07 > 0:17:08what I'd find.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12The call is to a suburban street, where
0:17:12 > 0:17:17a number of owls are supposedly being kept in unsuitable conditions.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Hello, how are you? I'm Kerry from the RSPCA.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23We've had a call about some owls being kept at this address.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Someone was concerned that the owls are being kept in untidy
0:17:25 > 0:17:29conditions, sort of, you know, a bit messy and, unclean,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31are you happy for us to come in and have a look?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33See what you've got? That's great, thank you.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36From the outside, the house just looks normal, and then you go
0:17:36 > 0:17:40into it and out the back, and you're suddenly met by all these aviaries.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44So I was quite surprised that they were keeping that many in such
0:17:44 > 0:17:45a small garden.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Owner Gilbert is not at home, but his partner, Joyce, is happy to
0:17:50 > 0:17:54show Kerry the 13 different owls and their living conditions.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58They don't need to fly, only for their food.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Food, exactly, yeah.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02They don't need to fly for their food, because they're fed.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Captive birds like this I'd like to see as big
0:18:04 > 0:18:07a space as possible for them, obviously.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10My initial concern is that the aviaries were quite small,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13because the species of owls that they were keeping,
0:18:13 > 0:18:14a lot of them were quite big in size,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18so I just wanted to make sure that they weren't overcrowded.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20What do you do to keep the place clean?
0:18:20 > 0:18:22What's the daily routine?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25He cleans them out... He won't clean them out every day, obviously,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27about once a week he'll scrape them all out.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31When they perch, and if you have a wall near a perch,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34that's where, unfortunately a lot of faeces collects, isn't it?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Some of the faeces certainly is collecting over there in that corner.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40I'd certainly like to see that cleaner.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And I would like to see it being done on a daily basis.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47So you could see droppings, for example, on the perches
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and on the walls of the enclosures,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53which I felt had been there for some time.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56My concern was that they hadn't been cleaning up regularly enough, and
0:18:56 > 0:19:01then of course, that can lead to all sorts of problems for the animals.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06And with the life expectancy of captive owls being around 40 years,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Kerry's also concerned about their long-term future.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14Yeah, crikey.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18What's the future plan, then, for these guys?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20I mean, who's going to be able to take them on?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22The owner was actually quite elderly.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25And my concern was, because a lot of these birds were really young,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27they could live way beyond him.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30And what was his future plan for these birds.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Kerry also spots a barn owl, tethered indoors,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36so she decides she'll need to come back
0:19:36 > 0:19:40to speak to Joyce's partner, Gilbert, about all the issues.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49A week later, and Kerry returns.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52She hopes that the owner has got the message about the owls.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Hello. Are you Gilbert? Hello! I'm Kerry, nice to meet you.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59I just want to have a look, see your aviaries.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I think I can see already they're much cleaner.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Shall we go have a look?
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Kerry can immediately see some improvements.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Oh, this is much better.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10You've given this a bit of a scrub down, haven't you,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12on the side there.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14And the perch is looking better already.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16It's not completely clear, but it's a lot better than it was.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19There were still some things I was concerned about.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22And that was the fact that he had a couple of owls there that
0:20:22 > 0:20:24were tethered up. And he had told me that the
0:20:24 > 0:20:28barn owl in the conservatory was tethered for most of the time.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29That's a major concern.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31What's your plans for them? Because obviously,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34it's not ideal to have owls tethered.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I'd rather she was just loose in the aviary like these guys are.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Yeah. What I've got is a big oak frame one that can go in there,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43longer, a lot longer.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So this aviary's going to come down, and then you're going to put
0:20:45 > 0:20:47in a longer one?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50How quickly do you think you can get something sorted to get them moved?
0:20:50 > 0:20:51- In the spring...- In the spring.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Even though Gilbert's building another aviary
0:20:55 > 0:20:56for the tethered birds,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Kerry is still worried about current arrangements for the barn owl.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04It's basically an offence to keep any bird in something that is
0:21:04 > 0:21:07too small and doesn't allow them to stretch their wings.
0:21:07 > 0:21:13It was sort of put in a box at night, almost like a pet carrier.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17And it certainly wasn't big enough to house an owl for long periods
0:21:17 > 0:21:20of time, and it certainly shouldn't have been kept in their overnight.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22You have to stop putting them in anything too small.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23That needs to happen now.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27With Gilbert already making improvements and taking her advice
0:21:27 > 0:21:32on-board, Kerry is happy that the owls' lives will soon be enhanced.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37He did say that he was going to make some improvements to the
0:21:37 > 0:21:39aviaries in the springtime.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Even though I was happy with what I'd seen that day,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44I also in the back of my mind think, well, I'd quite like to go back
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and just see what else he's done in the spring.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49All right, take care. Bye!
0:21:49 > 0:21:53So Kerry will be visiting the house again to check on the owls.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Birds like this, they are very specialist,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and people who're keeping them, shouldn't do so lightly.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02And it's really important that you meet the needs of these animals
0:22:02 > 0:22:03for a lifetime.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12When people are struggling to make ends meet,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16feeding their pets can become an unwelcome expense.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20And sadly, checking on dogs that are underweight has become
0:22:20 > 0:22:22an everyday job for inspectors.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26We've just received a call about a bull-mastiff-type dog
0:22:26 > 0:22:27that's very thin.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29So we're not a million miles away,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32we're just going to pop down and have a look.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35We get that call five, six, seven times a week -
0:22:35 > 0:22:37a dog in poor conditions.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41That's probably our bread-and-butter type of call.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43But however common,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46experienced officers always approach with an open mind.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55It took quite a while to answer the door, it was an upstairs flat.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59You OK?
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Hello, fella, from the RSPCA.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- All right?- How's it going, I've had a call about the dog.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Do you need this Zimmer upstairs, sir?
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- No, I've got one upstairs. - Are you sure?- Yeah.- OK.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13He'd recently had some type of operation,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16hospitalisation, which he was recovering from.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18What's been going on then, mate?
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Oh, God.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27But while the owner's in a bad way, his dog JJ looks in perfect health.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- OK, what's his name?- JJ.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33JJ. You're lovely, aren't you? Are you going to say hello?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35He's a beauty, he is.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Ah, see, I've had a call saying he's in terrible condition, he's really
0:23:39 > 0:23:44thin, and he's certainly not thin or in poor condition, is he, sir?
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Whether Nigel is well enough to cope with such a strong dog
0:23:48 > 0:23:50does worry Keith.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53OK, I've also had a call from the police about him,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55have you contacted the police at all?
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Right, yeah.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00OK.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Being an RSPCA inspector is a people job.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06And I immediately had concerns for the gentleman's welfare,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and how he was coping.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10And he clearly loved this dog.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14The gentleman seemed to just be able to look after himself,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16let alone this big dog.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19My concern is, if he knocks you over,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21you're going to end up back in hospital and...
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Yeah, and we can't have that, can we?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30And with dangerously steep stairs leading to the front door,
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Keith thinks the situation isn't suitable for either Nigel or JJ.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Would you like him to be re-homed?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Yeah? OK, I'll tell you what...
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Yeah, that's all right, sir.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45No worries, I can help you out, it's no problem.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48All right, JJ. Leave him alone. You're lovely, aren't you?
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Look at that head on you.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Keith steps outside to fetch the relevant paperwork.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Cheers, sir, won't be a minute.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58But the original call has left him frustrated.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03The allegation was that the dog was in thin condition with its hips
0:25:03 > 0:25:08and spin clearly visible, well, you know, that clearly is not the case.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13It does annoy me sometimes when people seem to report
0:25:13 > 0:25:16animals in poor condition when clearly they're not.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The call had gone from, perhaps looking into animal neglect to
0:25:20 > 0:25:25helping the gentleman out to improve his life and improve the dog's life.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26- You all right, Nigel?- Yeah.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Can I perch on here? Is that all right? Or here?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- Is that all right?- Anywhere. - I'll just move your lunch, is it?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Hello, you.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Nigel, if you want, I could take JJ with me today.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41And I can find him a home through the Swansea Animal Centre.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45He was very emotional, very upset.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48I think, I remember I checked with him
0:25:48 > 0:25:50about four or five times that this is what he wanted to do.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53If you want to do that, and you're sure about that.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54OK.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Obviously, I made it perfectly clear, once he signed the dog over,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02he couldn't have the dog back, and he was OK with that.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03It's the best for him.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06OK. And are you going to be all right without him?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- Oh, yeah.- Are you sure?- Yeah.- OK.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12It can be quite difficult to deal with someone's emotions. But
0:26:12 > 0:26:16in this case, I just felt for the gentleman. He clearly loved his dog
0:26:16 > 0:26:20and he wanted the best thing for the dog, and that's what happened.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22You've done the right thing, mate.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23- CRYING:- Definitely.- Yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I know you're upset and he's been your pal, hasn't he?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29But I give you my word, we'll find him a nice home.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Thank you.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Yeah. And he's a lovely dog.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34He really is a credit to you, sir.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41After completing the transfer of ownership...
0:26:41 > 0:26:44You just concentrate on getting that leg better, all right?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Right, I'm Keith, that's my office number. OK, sir?
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Thank you very much.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51It's time for Nigel to say goodbye to JJ.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- Take care now, boy, right? Right? - Are you all right?
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- Yeah.- OK.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57Ta-ra, boy.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Take care now.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- Thank you very, very much. - You're more than welcome.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Aw, good boy!
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Quite often you don't...you don't get that type of job.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11And within, I think, the space of 40 minutes,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14we'd made a positive impact, not only to the dog
0:27:14 > 0:27:17but to the owner as well, his life improved straightaway.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Good lad. Yes, you are.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22All right, see you in a minute, son. Good boy.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26The gentleman just wanted to help his dog, and by us
0:27:26 > 0:27:31removing the dog, helps him out, and it put a big smile on my face.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Keith gets JJ settled at the Swansea Animal Shelter.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44He's really nice, he's really friendly.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47He was pretty good on the lead when I took him out of the property
0:27:47 > 0:27:50but he's pulling a little bit, but... You be good now, yeah?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I'll take you for a walk, eh?
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Just a few weeks later, JJ was found a new home,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and former owner Nigel was delighted.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03That shows how caring he was, he's still ringing up to check
0:28:03 > 0:28:07that the dog's OK. And I spoke to him last week and just assured
0:28:07 > 0:28:10him that JJ's gone to a really nice home and that he's doing well.