Episode 17 Animal 24:7

Britain's animals are under threat.

All too often, our wildlife and domestic pets

are the victims of cruelty, persecution and neglect.

Fighting to save them is a dedicated band of people

trying to protect and care for them right around the clock.

This is Animal 24:7.

Today on Animal 24:7...

heartbreaking scenes as a pack of 11 dogs are taken from their filthy home.

You could see them coming down there. They were scared to death

because they'd never been out of his garden.

Which is horrible.

A swan gets its stomach pumped.

In a bird that's got a lot of lead, they're going to continue to absorb it

through their gizzard because it grinds it down.

They'll end up dying of their disease.

And I'm on patrol at the Barnet horse fair.

If there are animals there illegally they will be seized.

If we need to arrest people, we will.

But first to a story that shows what can happen

when dogs aren't given the attention they need.

RSPCA inspector Gary Eastwood has been told that 14 untrained Alsatians

are living in one house.

They've developed a pack mentality

and Gary's worried about what could happen if they got out of the house.

Nottingham. RSPCA inspector Gary Eastwood is on his way

to a difficult and potentially dangerous job.

My worry is that if we try and get however many there is,

12 or 14 German Shepherds out

we may end up using graspers, which is not good for the dogs

but we've also got a public safety problem

in that if any of the dogs get off,

they might be a little bit snappy.

Gary is determined to get the dogs away from the house

so the police have been called.

They can legally seize the animals if the owner refuses to co-operate.

Is he in?

Hi, Mr Oppolio.

We've come to talk to you about your dogs again.

-All right.

-Right.

But the owner is happy to let the team inside

where the dogs instantly make their presence felt.

CHORUS OF BARKING

But the welcome is short-lived.

When we spoke to you last time, you mentioned wanting to sign some over

-or not signing any over.

-I don't want to sign any over.

-You don't.

The distressed barking next door gives an idea of the scale of this job.

And a look outside reveals the horrific conditions

these dogs have had to endure.

The garden where they live is swimming in mud.

With little shelter from the wind and rain.

Gary spells out what's at stake.

-You know this law we work under, the Animal Welfare Act.

-Yeah.

It basically gives rights to certain animals.

It says all animals have to have enough room to express their normal behaviour.

And enough human contact so they all get a good walk every day.

I don't think you can be giving them enough exercise.

You can't carry on like this. You'll get in trouble with us and the law.

I'm trying to sort the situation out for you.

-I don't want to take you to court and take all your dogs off you.

-Well, take me to court.

The owner is refusing to sign over any of his dogs.

Gary's not making any progress.

Can we have a look at your dogs, then?

He tries a different approach.

Are they all OK? All reasonably friendly?

-Yeah.

-We're not going to get bitten?

-Oh, shouldn't do.

The owner clearly can't control them.

Are you all right with them? Is everybody all right with this?

-DOGS SNARL

-Get back!

With a ferocious response, he's beaten back.

But the vet and Gary's colleague Sue must get a closer look at the dogs.

They squeeze their way through to the kitchen.

Are you OK, Sue? Shall I put my foot behind the door?

Gary mans the door to prevent the dogs escaping.

I've got it.

If Sue can't reach a compromise soon, the owner may be prosecuted.

Unfortunately you can sort of see the attitude of the chap.

He's not listening to any sense. We may have to take it a bit further.

AGGRESSIVE BARKING

And in the kitchen it's clear things inside are just as bad as outside.

That's the floor. I'll shut the door quick if the dogs come in. I don't want them in here.

Sue and the vet Ben Hughes soon emerge to give their verdict.

And there's been a dramatic change of heart.

Are you all right?

Yeah. He's signing them over.

Excellent!

-Apart from three.

-Fantastic.

After considering what's at stake,

the owner has realised he can't keep animals this way.

But removing them is a messy job for all.

Come on, Tess. Come on.

The filth is not the only problem.

That's a good girl.

They're feral, petrified dogs.

Covered in muck and grime, they have to be dragged towards the van.

-Right.

-Have you got the one this side?

-Yep.

I'll do the front. You do the back. Straight in.

And these two are just the first of 11 that have to be removed.

-All right, Sue?

-Yes.

Some are even more reluctant to budge.

Backed into a corner, they still have the potential to be dangerous.

Keeping her distance, Sue eventually persuades this one to leave.

Come on, Bonnie.

Others simply refuse to move.

And there's only one option left.

There we go.

-Nellie.

-Nellie. I'll write that on my hand.

As the dogs continue to be loaded up,

the vet spots one has been bitten by another member of the pack.

I'll have to check her out cos she just got clamped on by one of the other dogs.

These should be proud, handsome dogs,

but they're almost unrecognisable as Alsatians.

Come on.

And they're united in a loathing of being led or handled in any way.

You do the front, I'll do the back. Go. Come on, Sabre. There you go.

Gary simply can't understand the scale of this neglect.

To look after a dog properly is not just a matter of feeding it.

You could teach a chimp to feed a dog!

That's not what ownership is about. It's about companionship, doing the best you can for them.

This one is seven months old.

At seven months old, it should get three good walks a day. But it's living in a back garden.

-You don't want to walk anywhere, do you!

-This way.

You could see them coming down there. They were physically scared to death

because they'd never been out of his garden -

which is horrible!

The team has to wait for reinforcements to arrive to take the last few dogs.

This distressing job is not over yet.

The animals were terrified on the short walk to the van.

No-one knows how they'll react once they're taken away from their home for good.

Still to come: the petrified dogs arrive at the kennels.

That dog's hearing and smelling things that we can't begin to comprehend.

It may be more scared now than when we got it out of the house.

And Passport Control at the Barnet horse fair.

-The question I asked was, "How many horses do you have?"

-I told you five!

Five. I said, "Do you have the passports for those horses?" You said yes.

I didn't mean those others.

Swans often form close bonds with their mates.

So if one becomes sick or injured and is taken for treatment,

the rescuers have two problems on their hands.

First, to treat the injury,

then to get the animal back to the wild before their families reject them.

East Winch wildlife hospital in Norfolk.

There's an emergency admission.

Animal collection officer Craig Plumtree

found this injured swan on a nearby river.

He's rushed it through to see vet Helen Osborne.

One swan for you.

Lovely. Can you tell me what's happened to it?

I found it with its partner. Its partner is nesting on about a dozen eggs, actually.

It had blood all over the side of its wing. I managed to catch it.

I had a quick look at it. It's got an injury under its wing.

His cygnets may be just days from being born.

It's vital this father is back with them as soon as possible.

There's probably a lot of blood around here.

Let's have a look.

Helen thinks the swan may have been attacked

but then she spots a serious problem -

a huge growth.

Huge. I've never seen anything like this before in a swan's wing.

It could be a haematoma,

basically a bleed into the tissue around here caused from trauma.

The priority is to take a closer look and try and establish

exactly what it is.

It does look quite bad and I think determining what this is here

will probably determine the outcome, really.

Helen takes a sample to be analysed.

All hopes of reuniting the bird with his family now

rest on the results of these tests.

We're probably looking about 50/50 at the moment.

Depending on how he responds to treatment will depend on the outcome.

All the team can do is wait.

Over the other side of the surgery, there's another male swan pining for its mate.

He was brought in a week ago.

There were no obvious injuries, but the bird was struggling to walk.

Then an x-ray revealed the problem. Worryingly,

this swan has been poisoned by lead.

This density here is a piece of lead.

We've taken a blood sample and the levels are high.

Helen thinks the lead is probably from a fishing weight.

These are now illegal, but old ones still remain

at the bottom of lakes.

Naturally,

swans and other birds will eat grit and things like that to grind their food down.

Often, they pick up lead shot when they're eating grit because it sinks to the bottom of lakes.

The chances of birds recovering from lead poisoning are slim.

But Helen and her team is determined to do all they can.

The swan's stomach will be flushed in an attempt to remove the lead.

It's a tricky and unusual procedure.

If the animal's quite sick, they can die under anaesthetic

so we like to stabilise them first to reduce that risk.

Obviously there's risk of rupturing their stomach as well

but that's rare and happens in birds that are quite sick.

It's the bird's only chance.

In a bird that's got a lot of lead, they continue to absorb it through their gizzard

because it grinds it down and then it goes into their bloodstream

and they end up dying of their disease.

The swan is secured to the table.

Helen begins the procedure.

We tend to measure the tube so we know exactly how far we need to go in.

With the tube in place, the nurse can now begin pumping the water.

We're getting grit coming through so we know we're in the right place.

So we just move the tube up and down gently.

Grit is clearly being flushed away.

The question now is whether the lead has also been removed.

We'll have a look through this for the lead shot to see if it's out.

And take an x-ray as well, to make sure we've got it out.

But the x-ray results aren't good.

This is lead that's still inside his stomach.

Obviously all the grit's been removed

so it may well be embedded in the stomach wall

so it might not come out easily. We'll flush it again to see if we can remove it.

Every minute under anaesthetic is a risk to the bird.

This will be Helen's last chance to remove the lead.

She scans the tray, searching for the lead.

I can't see anything in there that looks very convincing.

Helen now needs to do another x-ray to see if the procedure has worked this time.

OK. This is the second x-ray after the second gizzard flush.

As you can see, there's no more lead in the gizzard

so it's been successful and the shot's been flushed away.

It's brilliant news for the swan.

The operation is over.

What this bird needs now is to build its strength back up.

But this means spending more time away from his mate.

The longer they're apart, the less chance there is of a happy reunion.

Coming up:

the swan is fit for release, but will the team be able to find him?

Oh, a nine-ten.

Oh, so close!

It is going to be the last one.

And Gary tries his best to win the trust of the terrified Alsatians.

Most dogs, if you make a noise or whistle, they'll come up

and either growl or wag their tail.

These things do nothing.

They just sort of... They just sort of ignore you.

Today, I'm at the Barnet horse fair.

It's a traditional event where travellers, gypsies and horse traders

have been gathering to do business for over 500 years.

I'm joining the police and the RSPCA to see how they monitor animal welfare at such an event.

Our role here today as the RSPCA

is obviously to ensure the welfare of all the animals here,

be it equines, or, in years gone by, we've had problems with dogs in cars, even ferrets in cars.

If there are animals that are there illegally

they will be seized and the RSPCA will find a place of safety for them.

If we need to arrest people, we will.

This is how the day starts for Andy and the team,

checking the horse boxes as they come in, making sure the horses are OK

with the RSPCA's help and also making sure they have their paperwork in order

if they're going to buy, sell and transport. Let's see how they're getting on.

At this checkpoint, they look at each and every horse and vehicle that comes to the fair.

'I'm not quite sure why the previous reports are wrong.

'This last record I've given you has all the information on as far as I'm concerned.'

This horse box is the latest to be given a routine inspection.

He's going to come down and we'll have a look.

The law now states that every single horse coming into the fair

must have a passport.

These include the age, colour and breed of the animal

and their ownership details.

They're a vital tool in preventing fraudulent trade.

It soon becomes clear to PC Andy Wigley

that something doesn't add up.

These are all horse passports.

We got a load of horses, love.

Andy asks to see the passports for the five horses on the lorry.

-Within all these passports, are there five for these five horses?

-No.

There seems to be a problem.

-The question I asked you is how many horses do you have...

-I told you five.

Five. And I said do you have the passports for those five horses and you said yes.

-I didn't mean...

-You didn't mean those horses.

-No.

-We're satisfied...

-What's the problem?

-You can't move the horses without passports.

This driver has 150 passports with him, but only five horses.

To make matters worse, none of the passports match the animals he has in the lorry!

Andy is worried that these horses may be traded illegally.

He continues his enquiries.

-What are you doing with them?

-We're delivering them.

-We're delivering them for a man.

-Which man are you delivering for?

-He's a dealer.

-Is he?

I'll just do some checks.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA takes a closer look at the horses

to ensure they're fit and healthy.

We've got two bays, a white horse, a grey horse and a black-and-white horse.

A little black-and-white one.

Why is it so important to check vehicles coming in to the fair?

If the horses are in transit for some time,

we want to make sure they're fine and their welfare is OK.

Have they been caused any injuries whilst in transit.

The horses are well cared for.

The men insist they're not planning to sell them.

Andy decides that a diplomatic approach is the best way forward.

You let those five horses through without passports. Why's that?

The law changed on the first of September. It's only the fourth of September now.

The reality is we're trying to educate them

rather than enforce straightaway.

Are you hoping to catch up with them on the site of the fair?

-Another team are with them on the fair site at the moment.

-Right.

We will know if those horses are sold, which is an offence.

It's mid-morning and the fair is in full swing. Traders and buyers gather to do business.

This area here is known as "the flashing lane",

where horses are shown off to potential buyers.

Inspector Natalie Bartle is in charge of monitoring the welfare of the animals.

-What are you looking for?

-That they're not over-riding the horses.

Making sure that they're not giving the same horse

a lot of times up and down where it's exhausted.

If it gets to that, I'll intervene.

When they're getting exhausted, what are the symptoms? What can you see?

Sweating heavily. And start having foam around the mouth.

That's the time they need to be stopped to prevent exhaustion.

Everything seems to be going smoothly here.

But over the other side of the fair, a van has been stopped for a routine check

and investigations have uncovered a new problem.

What's going on here?

This vehicle partly has come to our attention because I believe it's in a dangerous condition.

There's chunks of metal which are loose. They have three seven-week-old Jack Russell puppies

and the lady has stated her intention is to sell them at the fair.

And that's not acceptable.

Despite the allegation, the owner is keen to introduce me to her puppies

and quickly changes her story.

-Celia, Mary and Emily.

-How old are they?

-Seven weeks old.

-Seven weeks.

It ain't against the law to have a puppy, is it?

-It's not against the law, no.

-I'm the original owner of them.

-What's the problem?

-Is the mum at home?

-No, she died having them.

-They look like nice little dogs.

What are you taking them to the fair for?

Cos everywhere I go, I takes them!

They've got to be fed and watered.

-You're not taking them to sell them?

-No. I do sell dogs,

but I'm not selling them. They're my dogs,

what I'm keeping.

Selling puppies at the fair is illegal.

This owner's conflicting information is a cause for suspicion.

The first thing that lady said to me was she was taking the puppies in to sell.

As soon as I said, "You can't sell puppies",

she changed her mind.

This time I'm satisfied she's going in to sell those dogs.

The reality is, when they get inside the fair,

-it's impossible for us to regulate that.

-What happens to the dogs if they can't go in to the fair?

If the RSPCA are happy with the condition of the dogs,

they can keep them, but can't go into the fair with them.

RSPCA inspector Charlotte Eden begins her assessments.

-Can I have a quick look at the puppies?

-There you go.

-Are they bred from one of yours at home?

-Yeah, they are.

-Is Mum with them today?

-No, Mum died, darling.

-OK.

Why have you brought them today?

There's nobody to look after them at home. They've got to be fed and watered.

-They've got to be looked after.

-How do they look to you?

-They look in good condition. They're pot-bellied. Have you wormed them?

-Yes, I have.

Whilst everything is OK with the puppies, there's an issue with the car.

You cannot drive it on the road in that condition.

The police have decided this car is unroadworthy

and order the owner to take it for repairs immediately.

Regardless of the owner's intentions,

the puppies won't be going to the fair after all.

-You're taking them home now?

-MAN:

-Yeah, they're my kids' pets.

I was only showing them off at the fair.

-So you're allowed to take the van back?

-As long as it's just me.

-As long as there's nobody in it.

-Thank you.

-I'll shut the door on you.

Who knows? Maybe he was going to sell them at the fair.

Or maybe he was taking them out for the day.

But because of the condition of the truck, he's got to go home anyway.

And while the owner and puppies go on their way,

the rest of the fair is winding down too.

There are one or two horses still trotting by,

but most people are packing up for the day.

It's been a successful day for the community who've shown off lots of horses and made a bit of money

and the police and the RSPCA were especially thankful

that due to their work and with the backing of the community

it's been a very successful Barnet horse fair.

Later: Dad's back, but will he be welcome home?

I can see one swan with two cygnets a bit further down here.

Right. Here we go.

After you, mate.

Earlier in the programme, we saw how the RSPCA had been called to a house

where a pack of potentially dangerous dogs

were living in horrendous conditions.

Inspector Gary Eastwood and his team

have already removed most of the dogs,

but their job is far from over.

With reinforcements on the scene,

the last of these petrified dogs have finally left their home.

It's been a stressful job for all the team.

It's not a God-given right to own an animal.

It should be a privilege.

These animals have just existed.

When we get to the kennels, they'll get inoculated, wormed, de-flead, bathed.

See how muddy they are. It's just too many to have.

These dogs didn't choose to live in this mud bath.

They had to.

Now they're being taken away.

But their mental states are causing real concern.

Because he's never had them on a lead, all they've known is the garden.

One of them came out and it smelt some grass

in his front garden and it was almost bewildered by it.

It didn't want to leave this bit of grass because its senses were being overloaded.

It saw other people, it saw vehicles and it saw a road.

They've never seen these sort of things.

The local kennels are just a few miles away.

The dogs' nervousness shows no signs of letting up.

Come on.

Come on, then.

Watch the legs. Come on, Tess. Good girl. Good girl.

These dogs have all behaved like a pack in that house.

We're now at some kennels where there's perhaps 150 other dogs.

That dog's hearing and smelling things that we can't begin to comprehend. It's probably thinking,

"There's a big pack here." It may be more scared now than when we got them out of the house.

So you've got to reassure them so that they think he's my little mate.

They're now coming into the rescue centre thick and fast.

This one, who's already been attacked by one of the other dogs,

is in a state of shock.

-All right, Sue?

-Yeah, he's almost there.

It looks a bit brutal, but it's better than getting a grasper on them.

She desperately clings to the ground.

Eventually, though,

with some gentle encouragement, she's coaxed over the threshold.

She's just too scared. There's so much going on with the new surroundings,

new smells and sounds, she can hear all the dogs in the kennels.

Just too scared at the moment.

She'll come round, though.

This cycle of fear is going to take some time to break.

As soon as they get sight of the other dogs kept here,

a fresh bout of panic breaks out.

Back outside, there are more dogs to be brought in.

These two are paralysed with fright.

But although they look submissive,

their mental state makes them unpredictable.

Gary does all he can to win their trust.

I'm going to see what it does if I walk up here.

This is your little bed up here.

It'll be nice in here.

You can see they're not wild

but most dogs, if you make a noise like whistle, or "hello!",

they'll either growl at you or wag their tail.

These things do nothing.

They just sort of... They just sort of ignore you.

Split up from the pack, the dogs are safe enough for now.

But this lack of response could point to deep-seated problems.

And there's a danger their fragile mental state might make it impossible for them to be retrained

as family pets.

Still to come:

The delivery dog often laughed about the jobs he had to do.

Revolutionary therapy. But will it work?

The dog doesn't have to go on a lead. It doesn't have to be stroked.

It doesn't have to be brushed. It can literally sit and listen.

Now it's back to RSPCA East Winch

and the two swans that needed medical attention.

Both had to be taken away from their mates.

One was suffering from lead poisoning, the other had a tumour on its wing.

Thankfully, this proved to be benign and was removed.

Now both swans are back to full health and it's time for them to go home.

But will they be welcomed back?

Animal collection officer Justin Stubbs

has arrived to collect the fully recovered swan to take it back to the wild.

-Hi, Alison.

-Hiya.

Alison Chards has been caring for him during rehabilitation.

How's he doing?

Very good, actually.

He's ready to go and he looks very well.

A different swan to the one Craig brought in!

-He looks very well now.

-OK.

The swan has been away from his family for over a month.

There's a real worry they may reject him.

It's been in for a while, having to heal, so whether it goes back to its family, we don't know.

See what happens.

But Justin is determined to try and reunite them.

So the swan is taken an hour's drive away to the Norfolk fens.

The last time this swan was on the river, his mate was sitting on eggs.

He's huge!

He'll know where he is.

Now his babies have been born.

Hopefully we'll end up with a nice emotional family reunion.

But if she has met up with somebody, it could be a bit of a war!

As Justin approaches the river, the family is spooked and move further downstream.

I can see one swan with two cygnets a bit further down here.

This is where we picked him up from. So this is where we release him, whatever happens.

Justin finally catches up with the young family.

Now it's time to see how they react to Dad coming home.

I'm not going to go any closer to the river than this.

He's just going to have to have a walk through the nettles.

Right. Here we go.

Up to you, mate.

It's not the most graceful of descents.

And the reception is far from welcoming.

Mum's being really defensive at the minute, swimming with the head so far back.

The aggressive fast swimming towards him.

The male heads off down the river,

putting some space between him and his new family.

They've been apart for the better part of five weeks, now.

They always run the risk of losing that bond.

But after several minutes, the mother heads off too,

following her old mate.

It's hardly a romantic reunion,

but this is a good sign.

Hopefully, with time, they'll recognise each other again

and all will be well!

Back at East Winch, there's another swan waiting to go home.

After his operation, the swan with lead poisoning

has also made a full recovery.

He's been recuperating with 20 other swans in the outdoor enclosure.

Our swan looks absolutely fabulous. We're going to catch him up.

It's been three months that he's taken to recover since his flushing.

But he looks fabulous and he's ready to go back.

But finding him amongst his companions is easier said than done!

We'll have to corral them all in this corral that we use for cleaning the pens.

Then we'll have to work our way through them. Of course, it'll be the last one!

But when we get to the right ring number, we'll take it and put it in the bag.

If we work them up that way. Pretend you're a sheepdog!

With some skilful shepherding, Alison and Jenny herd the swans

towards the gate.

And the swans seem to be on their best behaviour.

You as well, big fella!

Alison has soon got them just where she wants them.

Right. First part accomplished.

There's a huge array of swans in here.

We've got all sorts. Lead poisoning, fishing line,

fishing hooks been pulled out of them.

Some are ready to go back, some are still recovering.

We'll see if we can find ours.

Let's give it a go, shall we?

The search begins.

Alison needs to check the numbered rings on the birds' legs.

947. OK, not you.

These swans are still recovering so go back to the enclosure.

Finding the right swan is proving difficult.

Oh, 910!

Oh, so close!

It is going to be the last one!

But with only a few left,

Alison spots a likely candidate.

He looks quite well.

And finally, her lucky number's up.

I've got him. It is him.

He did look well and it is him.

Right. Good. Let's get him in the bag.

Good stuff.

This bird is also heading back to his mate.

But he's been away from her for three months now

and there's a real chance she might reject him.

At the lake,

the female seems to be waiting.

But before the swan can be set free, there's someone else keen to greet him.

Tony Barratt cares for all the birds on this lake.

He's been anxiously waiting for the swan's return.

-Hi, Mr Barratt!

-Hello, boy!

He's back. So is this where we're going?

Yeah. Do you want a bit of bread?

I don't imagine he does. I think he wants to get in there.

You're home again! Shall we take him down to see the other one?

The female soon spots her mate.

And he seems keen to get to her too!

Do you want to go in now?

Do you?

With a little helping hand and some final goodbyes,

the swan takes the plunge.

And heads straight to his mate!

And after a little lap of honour to prove he's fully recovered,

the lovebirds are together again.

Getting animals back to the wild is the best part of our job.

When they come back to a really good site like this,

it's great!

Finally, we're back in Nottingham

where the RSPCA took away 11 Alsatians

that were living in dreadful conditions.

Many were feral and uncontrollable.

The dogs were taken to kennels, but some were so unused to people,

they since turned nasty, even attacking the kennel hands,

so the safest thing to do was put them to sleep.

But others showed no signs of aggression

so for them, there is still some hope.

This is Twilight and Mystery.

They're scared,

but staff are confident they're good-natured dogs at heart.

Good girl.

Kennel hands are now trying everything they can

to help them overcome their fears and become confident family pets.

They're undergoing a programme of alternative therapy

to try and calm their nerves.

Hello!

Come on, then. Are you going to listen to a story?

Today it's book therapy. This is a revolutionary theory

based on the idea that reading to animals in a calming voice

can help them trust people once more.

Dasher, the delivery dog, often laughed about the jobs he had to do.

It was lucky that he was such a lively, cheerful dog

because his customers were sometimes very difficult.

It's just part of a whole programme

designed to help these dogs regain their confidence.

The dog doesn't have to go on a lead, doesn't have to be stroked,

doesn't have to be brushed.

It can literally sit and listen.

If a dog wants comfort, they get it. If they want to sit on their lap, they can.

If the dog wants to sit in the corner and listen, that's what they'll allow.

DOGS BARK DOWN CORRIDOR

Twilight and Mystery's old home was far from ordinary.

So staff are also introducing them

to the smells associated with a more normal home environment.

They smell different things on a daily basis. Food being cooked,

school bags coming home,

disinfectants you'd use to clean a kitchen and bathroom.

This is to stimulate their noses, basically.

In the evening we spray lavender oil, to give them a calming effect to go to bed on.

This extraordinary rehabilitation programme

includes a special diet and plenty of toys.

You like it, don't you?

Are you going to take it?

Through all this treatment,

Twilight and Mystery's personalities

are finally starting to emerge.

One of them, Twilight, she's extremely cheeky.

She'll come up and take things.

If you put a blanket down, she'll pull it around and go outside.

It means she's got a nice character.

The one at the back, Mystery, literally is a bit more mysterious.

She doesn't want to come to us.

She sits in the corner. She's extremely scared.

Literally, only time will tell.

We've all got our fingers crossed that it'll be a positive result.

A few months later,

and the difference in these two dogs is remarkable.

To speed their recovery, they've been put in the care of animal behaviourist Anne O'Brien.

She's spent years training thousands of pets at Battersea Dogs Home.

Come on!

When Anna first introduced me to Mystery and Twilight,

they were glued in a corner of the kennel.

They wouldn't come out, they were so reliant on one another. Nobody else came into the picture.

A dramatic change was needed.

For the first time in their lives, they had to face being on their own.

First, we needed to separate them.

They've both come out with different personalities and characters.

The first thing we needed to do with them was get them out of the kennel

and get them used to walking on a lead.

They'd never been on a lead before and it was a shock to the system.

So once they got used to that,

we started to take them out in very quiet areas like this. Letting them explore themselves.

It's quite intensive in time with the two of them.

It's a fine line between mollycoddling them and reassuring them

when they're exploring and doing all the activity they need to do.

It's hard to believe these are the same dogs.

Two months ago, their reaction to being on a lead was shocking.

Both dogs were paralysed with fear

having never been out of their previous home.

But now the transformation is very encouraging

and Anne is confident about their future.

So far, they're both exploring, both coming out of themselves, both building confidence.

Fingers crossed, we're well on the way with them

and they're going to a new home.

If you think you know of a case of wildlife crime

or a creature that needs immediate protection,

remember there are people out there to answer your call right around the clock.

They are who we meet on Animal 24:7.

Next time on Animal 24:7...

Babe, the starved Great Dane reduced to skin and bone.

The rib bones, you wouldn't expect to see them that prominently.

This is an emaciated dog.

A night-time pursuit in search of illegal poachers.

Two reports from two separate witnesses on the same incident.

I'd say the trail was pretty hot at the moment.

He's a bit interested. He can smell it.

And will this scaredy-cat take the bait?

If the cat listens to the instructions I give it, it'll be a piece of cake.

But I've a funny feeling it's not going to!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd