0:00:02 > 0:00:06All too often, our wildlife and domestic pets are the victims
0:00:06 > 0:00:08of cruelty, persecution and neglect.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Animal 24/7 is with the people fighting to save them.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Coming up...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19sinister findings in a house of horrors.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Ah, Carrie, there's a dead cat stuck to the back of the wardrobe.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26The mystery surrounding a stolen Staffy.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28What are you doing in the cupboard?
0:00:28 > 0:00:30That's not very friendly, is it?
0:00:30 > 0:00:35And a frightened badger, trapped in a backyard.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Quite a built-up place for a badger to be, isn't it? He's curled in there with his head underneath.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58In here, we find...Apricot,
0:00:58 > 0:01:05just one of 500 or so cats that come in to this RSPCA cattery every year.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07When she was picked up, she was pretty thin,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10short of water and had been living alone for quite a few days.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14As you can see, she's still pretty skinny today.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17That call-out was fairly routine for inspectors,
0:01:17 > 0:01:22but sometimes the RSPCA are faced with cases that are much more shocking.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30This house is home to over a dozen cats and their owner.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36She's ignored warnings to improve the way she keeps her pets.
0:01:36 > 0:01:43Now the police and RSPCA inspector Chris Shaw have arrived to rescue them.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48The owner's not home, but they're determined to get inside.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56The door may be open but Chris hits an invisible barrier.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Do you want a mask?
0:02:00 > 0:02:05- I think so. Have you got a mask? - Yeah.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07The stench is overpowering.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Oh, my...
0:02:11 > 0:02:13It's disgusting.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17It's hard to know where to start, but time is of the essence.
0:02:17 > 0:02:24All the cats must be found and removed before the team are overcome by ammonia fumes.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28- Oh, my eyes are streaming. - Cat boxes quick, please.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Vet Dennis Jones is keen to ensure that none of the cats escape.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Mr Jones, there's one making a break for the door.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- It's making a break for it! - It's all right.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41It's gone in the other room.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46I think there's going to be about 20 cats in there to collect...approximately.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I really can't quite say, though.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50There's another one here, actually.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Hello, little mate.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Things are going well, but the conditions are getting more difficult.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Are your eyes OK?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- Stinging.- Yeah. Mine are stinging.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04I'm going to throw up.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Making me feel pretty sick at the moment.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Inspector Gary Eastwood arrives to help with the rescue.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16It's the worst I've seen. Out of 24 years, it's absolutely...
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- More baskets, please!- ..filthy.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24Look at that room. It just says it all, doesn't it, really?
0:03:24 > 0:03:26There's no water coming in from the outside.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29That is just either urine or poo.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33I mean, it's worrying how someone can let their life and their house become like this.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I spoke to the lady.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Her excuse was she's very busy.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40But there's busy and there's, you know...
0:03:40 > 0:03:44That's not an acceptable excuse, as far as I'm concerned.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48The thing is, she chooses to live here and the cats don't.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50She forces them to live here.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Chris suspects the cats may be hiding beneath the large wardrobe.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- They tilt it forward and his hunch is spot on. - Are the cats under there?
0:03:58 > 0:04:02But then he makes a shocking discovery.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Carrie, there's a dead cat stuck to the back of the wardrobe.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Oh, that's fallen down there, hasn't it?
0:04:10 > 0:04:16Now, as well as saving the living, Chris needs to gather evidence on the dead.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19This is just...
0:04:19 > 0:04:22beyond belief.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26And downstairs, there's more horror.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Another one. Gary!
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- How dead are we talking?- Six months.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35The poor thing's got its foot up in its mouth.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Oh, there's loads in here, Gary.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- What, dead ones?- Yeah.- Oh, no.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Oh, crikey, the smell is absolutely horrific. It's just overpowering...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48of ammonia, faeces, bodies. It's just disgusting.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55What's even more upsetting are the scratch marks on the door.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58This could be evidence of a story almost too appalling to contemplate.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05Must have gone through a lot when he was trying to get out, then.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06Yeah.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09The remains of dead cats litter the room.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14- They've clearly been here for some time.- A skull here.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18The two front legs here. There's the pelvis and the backbone there.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22And the remains of the cat's fur overlaying the body.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29You're more than likely dealing with just straightforward starvation here.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35In total, the team recover the remains of 12 dead cats.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Just shocking. Absolutely shocking.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46The search is finally over, but it's not the end of the day.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Chris' attention must now turn back to the health of the rescued animals.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53We need to get these cats to a vet's as soon as possible.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Get them all examined. Make sure they are going to survive.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01They probably need some antibiotics. There was a lot of cats with runny noses and eyes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06The sooner we can get them examined, the better, so I want to get over to the vet's.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Later...
0:06:09 > 0:06:11This one does not look so good.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Yeah. It's a good job we did get in and get those ones out.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17But still, still I wish I'd have got there sooner.
0:06:21 > 0:06:27Every year, around 100,000 pets are reported lost or stolen,
0:06:27 > 0:06:32and as you can see, a fair few pass through here, at Stapeley Grange Cattery.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's a time of real heartbreak for their owners,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39but if their pet is microchipped, there's much more hope.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46In the East End of London, the Met have been called to a block of flats
0:06:46 > 0:06:51where a Staffordshire bull terrier is locked in a utility cupboard.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Now RSPCA inspector Dawn Avery has also arrived.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58We had a report of a dog locked in the cupboard overnight.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01The neighbours have finally had enough of the barking.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07It seems that the dog's owned by a bunch of kids whose parents won't let them have a dog,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09so they've found another way in.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13The dog has been growling, but it's unclear whether
0:07:13 > 0:07:17this is because it's aggressive or purely because it's frightened.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20DOG GROWLS Hello. Hello.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24What you doing in the cupboard, then? That's not very friendly, is it?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Not very friendly at all, is it?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Are you hungry? Are you going to bite us?
0:07:29 > 0:07:34Shall I go and get a biscuit, see if we can make friends? What I'm going to do...
0:07:34 > 0:07:40I'll go and get a little bit of food, cos if she's anything like me, it'll bring her round.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44I'll get one of my poles. I'll go and get that out the van.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Dawn hopes her catching pole and treats will do the trick.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Right. Food.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Experience tells her this Staffy could have been stolen, possibly for breeding.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57If she is a female and if she is pregnant,
0:07:57 > 0:08:02cos I haven't had a decent enough look at her yet, it'll be a money-making venture.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And it just gets quite depressing cos we see this quite a lot.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Most dogs would growl in that situation, but you never know
0:08:09 > 0:08:13with these dogs and they're quite lethal if they're aggressive.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15I don't want its jaws around me.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18So I'm going to have a little go with food but if that fails
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I'll wait for the dog unit and they can help me.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26Dawn returns to the dog, hoping that she can get it away from the scene without it becoming aggressive.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And that's not all there is to worry about.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Were the youths hanging about when you were here earlier?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34They denied all knowledge when we turned up.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Right. Look. Bless her. There's no natural light in here at all.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39What have you got in there?
0:08:39 > 0:08:42She's got bedding. She's got a toy.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43She's got water.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47She's got a light bulb to play with as well.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52Not sure I'd want her to crunch on that. It's totally an unsuitable place to keep a dog.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Are you going to like me, eh?
0:08:55 > 0:08:57You going to bite that?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Dawn manoeuvres her pole into the cupboard and onto the dog.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The reason we use this rather than putting a lead on
0:09:03 > 0:09:07is at the moment, we don't know what her temperament's like.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Fortunately, the dog accepts the restraint without any fuss.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15There's a good girl. See, you're out your cupboard now.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18Come on.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Who's a good girl?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22You're not so bad, are you? Eh?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Oh, you're wagging your tail!
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Who's a good girl?
0:09:26 > 0:09:32What would be a good idea as well would be to scan her for a microchip, wouldn't it, basically?
0:09:32 > 0:09:38With the scanner, Dawn can check within minutes whether the dog has an embedded microchip.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42If it has, tracking the owner down becomes a lot easier.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Now, come on. What I'm doing now is I'm just scanning her to see if she's got...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Oh, she has, she's chipped.
0:09:48 > 0:09:56That means Dawn could be just hours away from reuniting this frightened dog with her owner.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59She's still going to go up to the police station.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Good girl. Up.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Oh, look at that. Good girl!
0:10:03 > 0:10:06I'm going to make enquiries as to who the chip's registered to.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Could be a lost dog, stolen dog, anything really.
0:10:10 > 0:10:16- And we'll find out.- Because of suspicions the dog has been stolen,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19she will stay with the police until her true home is found.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25Meanwhile, Dawn puts in a call to Petlog, who hold the details of all chipped animals.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Good morning. My name's Dawn Avery.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I'm an RSPCA inspector from London.
0:10:30 > 0:10:37We've picked up a dog in, would you believe, a cupboard, a communal cupboard. Yep.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Out of interest, has this dog been reported as missing or stolen?
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Has it? And that was a while back, though, was it? All right.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50Lovely. OK. Thank you for that. What I'll do then is I'll make contact with the owner. Thank you.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53All right, then. Bye-bye.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Right. She's only about two years old.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01The person that is her registered owner actually lives in this area.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06This is where the good old A to Z is still better than sat navs, I'd say.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- Dawn now knows the dog is called Blaze.- OK.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12She also has an address for her owner,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16but how will they react to the news that their pet has been found?
0:11:19 > 0:11:20Coming up...
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- I've picked up a dog that's microchipped.- A Staff? - Yeah.- My Blaze?- Yes.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30- Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. - Are you OK, are you?
0:11:34 > 0:11:40As we saw with Dawn Avery there, approaching any animal that needs rescuing can be a risky business.
0:11:40 > 0:11:46And although Megan here is a bit of a softie, a cat too can deliver a nasty bite if they're scared.
0:11:46 > 0:11:52So think how bad it can be if you're trying to pick up a wild animal.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01This is the popular Somerset holiday resort of Weston-super-Mare.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04While day-trippers enjoy the late afternoon sun,
0:12:04 > 0:12:09animal rescuer Pauline Kidner is responding to an emergency call.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13You wouldn't normally associate badgers with the seaside,
0:12:13 > 0:12:18but this one's said to be trapped just yards from the beach.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- Where's the place, Pauline? - Over there.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24If we just have a look and see what the situation is.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28- I'll let you go first. You're the experienced one with badgers.- Hello!
0:12:28 > 0:12:36'Instead of its set, this badger's night on the town unexpectedly ended at the back of this terraced house.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- It's quite a built-up place for a badger to be.- It is.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41It's over there in the corner.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44He's curled in there with his head underneath.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's right in the middle of town here.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It's the towns that have moved into their territories
0:12:48 > 0:12:52and they've just got to find a way of surviving.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Last night's encounter left both human and animal shaken.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59As the frightened intruder tried to break out of the yard,
0:12:59 > 0:13:04homeowner Steve Varney thought something far nastier was trying to break into his house.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07We heard quite a racket about 4.30am this morning
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and at first, I thought it was someone trying to get in.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16And I kind of turned the light on and I just see this little pair of eyes
0:13:16 > 0:13:22peering at me and it was going round sticking its bum in the air and marking its territory.
0:13:22 > 0:13:28And of course, I got a bit concerned because it was just scratching away.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32- Did you know you had badgers round here?- Didn't have a clue.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Not something I would kind of
0:13:34 > 0:13:36picture in my back garden, for sure.
0:13:36 > 0:13:43Possibly injured from the fall into the yard and obviously scared, we now need to capture the badger.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Blanket. Cage. Grasper.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47That's it, hopefully.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Should do the job. At the moment, he's sat quietly, but obviously,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54once we start manoeuvring round, he might suddenly come to life.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Because badgers can be quite tough characters.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02They've got a very strong bite, but they are actually shy, so we're going to give him the option
0:14:02 > 0:14:07to run into the cage, if he wants to. If I just put something in the bottom of it like that.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10If I can just quietly go in there and put it down first of all.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16With walls on all sides, it's easy to see how this yard became a prison.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21OK. You've got the top end of the cage, we need.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27And basically, we just have it at the top there...
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- ready to feed him. - Trying to usher him in.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32That's what we're going to try and do is get him to go in.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- Come on. - I'll have this ready to slam on top.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That's it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- Got him.- Right. There we go.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Let's just have a look at him and see how he is.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I think it's just one that's fallen off the wall.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51He looks in pretty good nick, so we can have a look at him this afternoon
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and let him have a hotel night's stay with some free food and probably let him go tomorrow.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Will you let him go somewhere near here, cos they're quite territorial?
0:14:59 > 0:15:04They're very territorial and this is a typical situation where people say it's in the middle of the town
0:15:04 > 0:15:11and there's a much nicer place where the woods are a little bit further away and we put him there.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12So, ready to go?
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Yeah. Cover him over.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And in to the van.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It's not yet clear if the badger's been injured.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24We take him back to Secret World's casualty room,
0:15:24 > 0:15:30where Pauline and veterinary nurse Lisa Hills anaesthetise him so they can check him over more closely.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34So the muzzle's just going on for security in case he wakes up, is it?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37That's right. Yeah. I mean, you need to be sensible with badgers
0:15:37 > 0:15:42because we're doing something that's alien to him so if he was to come round, he'd be very frightened.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46It's just a bit unfortunate that you landed in that garden.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51The check-up's all clear, although his feet reveal more clues about his lifestyle.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55That's really interesting, cos look how short his claws are.
0:15:55 > 0:16:02So he's obviously walking around where there's a lot of cement, cos he's an urban badger.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07When this badger returns to his set, he'll have a permanent reminder of his seaside jaunt.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13Every adult badger treated at Secret World gets its own unique piece of body art.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16By tattooing him, it means we'll always know if he turns up again
0:16:16 > 0:16:19that he's one that's already been in rehabilitation,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21or if somebody finds him in a few years' time,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25we'll know how long he went on to survive once we let him go.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29'And it's not going to be long before badger 0608W
0:16:29 > 0:16:33'notices his new markings.' Here we go. Pop him back.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35He's just getting a wee bit lively.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Down on the blanket?
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Just rest his head up onto the side, onto the back. That's it.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Then slip the muzzle off.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51And after a brief spell in the centre's recovery room, he's back on his feet.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Well, almost.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57As you can see, he's coming round now, although looking a bit shaky.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02He'll be in here for another day and hopefully let out tomorrow night
0:17:02 > 0:17:06and there's no reason why he won't thrive and survive in that urban environment.
0:17:06 > 0:17:12And thank goodness Pauline got to him and in effect rescued him from that little dungeon for a badger.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16And that's really what the work here at Secret World is all about.
0:17:16 > 0:17:22Rescuing animals and getting them back out into an environment where they can thrive once again.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Later, a new life for the cats who almost starved to death.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Thank you for giving them the home they deserve.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Chris, thank you for getting them out.
0:17:42 > 0:17:49In the last year alone, microchipping helped reunite 29 cats with their owners here.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53In London, Inspector Dawn Avery has rescued a Staffy called Blaze
0:17:53 > 0:17:57from a block of flats and the good news is, it's chipped.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04The information held on the microchip database has led Dawn to this house,
0:18:04 > 0:18:11but she's no idea whether Blaze's owner still lives here, although the initial signs are encouraging.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17Yeah. Interestingly, a picture of a Staff in the window and a Blue Cross sticker in the window.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Oh, hello there. Sorry.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I'm from the RSPCA. Are you Miss Verdy?
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Oh, right.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29I'm sorry about that.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38I'm only just making it quick, but I picked up a dog that was microchipped to you.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I just wondered if you've given a dog away in the past.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- You picked up a dog that's microchipped?- Yeah.- A Staff?
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- Yeah.- My Blaze?- Yes.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Is it all right if we come in and have a chat?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. - Are you OK, are you?
0:18:53 > 0:18:57The owner's overwhelmed by the mere mention of her precious companion,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00who's been missing for two months.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Please. She's my pride and joy.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06My blood pressure's going to go up.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I was three weeks in hospital. I got home yesterday. That dog was my...
0:19:10 > 0:19:14All right. All right. Listen. Listen. Take a deep breath.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Take a deep breath. Listen. I've got some good news.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21The police called me this morning
0:19:21 > 0:19:29and said that they had found a dog and you know in those like communal cupboards by flats
0:19:29 > 0:19:32where you have like an electric meter and stuff?
0:19:32 > 0:19:35She was in there, but she had water and she had bedding.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39We've taken her out and she's gone to the police station and I scanned her.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43And that's where microchipping is absolutely perfect,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47because had she not had a microchip, I'd never have reunited her with you.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52When she went missing, was it because she ran up the road or did somebody take her from your garden?
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I think she was taken to order, I really do.
0:19:54 > 0:20:00The police asked me this, because she's such a beautiful dog,
0:20:00 > 0:20:05did I know anybody who might take her? I said I have always thought it's a local.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Miss Verdy has been lost without Blaze.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14It's obvious life just hasn't been the same without her.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19When I first started to get poorly, she would lie in my bed as gentle
0:20:19 > 0:20:24as a lamb and lick away my tears and would just put her head on my broken shoulder and just never jump on it.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Now Dawn is making plans to bring her home.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32You ask what it's like to get my dog back. My Blaze.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35I can't tell you...
0:20:35 > 0:20:37cos I don't know except...
0:20:40 > 0:20:42..happiness is the only word.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Oh, do I love her? Simple as that.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Dawn sets off to collect
0:20:54 > 0:21:00this most wanted pet from her temporary home in the police cells.
0:21:00 > 0:21:06She was absolutely ecstatic because she said the dog was stolen in January.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11PC Lowry, who found Blaze, has been looking after her since she was rescued.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- Blaze.- Blaze, come here. Come here, Blaze.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- She's scared, though, isn't she?- Yes.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I've got a biscuit in my pocket.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Good girl. A really different dog from this morning.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24That was fear aggression, because she was scared, in that cupboard.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Do you want that? No. You say that's boring now.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30My concern, obviously, is certainly in East London and probably
0:21:30 > 0:21:35in most cities in the country, that it's becoming really fashionable
0:21:35 > 0:21:40for gangs of youths to have this type of dog as a status symbol. Would you sort of agree with that?
0:21:40 > 0:21:46I would agree, and I think that's, in this case, what's actually happened... I think, you know.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50And unfortunately, they're used for fighting and for robberies, etc.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54I think it's something we're very keen to try and stamp out.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56You ready to go back in my van, then?
0:21:56 > 0:22:00So, Blaze arrives home after being missing for two months.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04You're home! You're home!
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- Come on, then.- And it doesn't take her long to get her bearings.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Right. See what her reaction is.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Come on, then. Do you recognise it?
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Do you recognise it?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18This way. Good girl.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22She's pulling to the door, which is a good sign.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Are we home? Are we home?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27She's quite excited, which is lovely.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Eh?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31You're excited to be home!
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Mrs Verdy, we're coming in. All right?
0:22:35 > 0:22:38She's getting quite excited. Come on, Blaze.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Have you got your shoulder protected?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42I'll hold on to her for a minute.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Come on, this way. This way.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50- Oh, look!- It's like Miss Verdy and Blaze have never been parted.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54- Is that your mum? - She's like this 24 hours a day!
0:22:54 > 0:23:00I think she's quite happy to be back with you, though, don't you?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03I've got my baby back. That's how I feel.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I just feel tremendous, tremendous happiness.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10And Blaze quickly settles in to her favourite spot.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14- Now, if you ever doubted who she belongs to...- I know.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19This is Blaze's way of saying "I'm home".
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Well, what a great ending for Blaze and Mrs Verdy.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27But now, we're back to Nottingham and Chris Shaw,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29where earlier in the programme,
0:23:29 > 0:23:35we saw him pick up 12 dead cats and rescue 15 others from the same fate.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Now, he's arrived at the vet's.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48With so many cats to check over, it's a major operation to transport,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51examine, feed, water and house them all.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Ah, look at the kittens. Look at their eyes.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57They were ones we got first.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Look at the state that was... Poor things.
0:24:00 > 0:24:07The cats all have different health issues, so care is taken to identify and take notes about each one.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11What is this? A female, by the looks of it.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17Even working quickly, it's a long afternoon for Chris, Dennis and the team.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Hello, little one.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25I am worried about them, because I can hear that they're sneezing,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29so I think there's a few runny noses around...and discharged eyes.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33This one looks as though it's had a discharge.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38There we are - you can see runny eyes there.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Good tear stains and the nostrils are actually blocked.
0:24:41 > 0:24:49Can't see any fleas there. I'm just giving him some antibiotics, just to start some treatment for that.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51We'll keep that one in overnight.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53It's the teeth here.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56If you look at the base here, the gum is eroded,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59these cheek teeth are absolutely filthy and disgusting.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Most cats have ailments that are treatable,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06but some are in a much worse state.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- This one does not look so good.- Yep.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13This one does not look at all good. His skin is taut.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17- He looks possibly dehydrated. - Very snuffly, isn't he? - He's not very good.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22It's a good job we did get in and get those ones out, but still...
0:25:22 > 0:25:25still I wished I'd have got there sooner.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28But you can only do the best you can do, can't you?
0:25:34 > 0:25:42Nine months later - out of the 16 cats rescued, 15 survived, and they've all found new homes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47Now Chris is on his way to meet Sandy Hawkins, who adopted two of them.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Are you there? You all right?
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Hi, Chris. How are you? - I'm all right.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Good. Nice to see you.- And you.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- Well, let's go and see the cats. - Here we are, Chris.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00There's our pussy cats.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02So, they're in here, are they?
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- They are.- Wow! Wow! What a difference.
0:26:05 > 0:26:06Got a little bit bigger.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09They have. And which one's which, then?
0:26:09 > 0:26:10That's Honey.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- Hello, Honey.- And big girl, Biscuit.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17And they obviously get on quite well, then.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Tremendously. There's one for you.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Ready?
0:26:23 > 0:26:28- Come on, then.- Wow! - And she'll do this all day.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Seriously? Go and play fetch, kind of thing?
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Although the cats have changed beyond all recognition,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40they still live with reminders of their former life.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43You can hear this one breathing, can't you, quite a bit?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Has she had any problems with her respiratory tracts?
0:26:46 > 0:26:51- Yeah.- Yeah.- She has. They think because she was ill so young,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56that it's just sort of a little bit of damage she's got.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Sandy has given Honey and Biscuit a totally fresh start.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07To help understand her cats better, she's keen to know just how appalling their lives used to be,
0:27:07 > 0:27:13and Chris has brought her some photos, taken by the RSPCA during the rescue.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17They are quite horrific pictures, so have you got a strong stomach?
0:27:17 > 0:27:18- I have.- You have.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- Disgusting. - That's the downstairs hallway.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- That's the carcass, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Distressing, isn't it, really?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34It is.
0:27:36 > 0:27:43I'm so glad, I'm so proud and honoured...to have these cats.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- It does make them precious... more precious.- Exactly.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53Thank you for having them, and thank you for giving them the home they deserve.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Chris, thank you for getting them out.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07In the end, the previous owner of the cats wasn't prosecuted
0:28:07 > 0:28:11because of fears over her mental health and age.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14But prosecution isn't the primary goal of these rescuers.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16It's animal welfare.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20So, if you know of a creature that's the victim of cruelty or neglect,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22remember, there are people out there
0:28:22 > 0:28:25who'll answer your call right around the clock.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28They are who we meet on Animal 24/7.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:51 > 0:28:54E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk