Episode 20 Animal 24:7

Britain's animals are under threat.

All too often, our wildlife and pets are victims of cruelty,

persecution and neglect.

Fighting to save them is a dedicated band of people

trying to care for them right around the clock.

This is Animal 24:7!

'Today on Animal 24:7...

'left for dead - the puppy put out with the rubbish.'

It's disgusting. A dog that's in such bad condition is dumped.

'Inspector Clare Ponsford gets the runaround.'

We just had a call that your dog never goes out for a walk.

Rubbish complaint.

'And catching the birds who mistake our highways for waterways.'

Why do swans end up on motorways?

Once they get a wet sheen on them, they look like a river.

The job of an RSPCA inspector is certainly a busy one,

especially when based in the heaving metropolis of London.

Inspectors Clare Ponsford and Imara Alagaratnam cover a patch in the north of the capital,

and have to deal with around 450 calls a year.

'Harringay in London.

'Clare's visiting an address following reports that a dog is locked in a backyard

'and, it's alleged, is never taken for a walk.

'Although Clare's not convinced about the information, she has to follow up the complaint.'

The caller says the dog has shelter but it never comes into the house.

So I'm not really sure what the problem is.

I've had a call about your dog.

-Can I come in?

-Yeah. He's just gone out for a walk.

-He's gone out?

'The owner's news is a surprise to Clare.'

The call is that he lives in the garden and never goes out.

He stays out during the day and comes in at night.

-Then someone takes him out?

-Yeah. My partner.

'April's happy for Clare to wait and check Charlie when he returns.

'Clare doesn't think this will be necessary.'

No. I've got a million things to do.

The call was the dog never went out. If he's not here, then...!

'It seems the caller has got their wires crossed.'

Thank you very much for your time. Have a good day. Bye.

'There's more confirmation that Charlie is well cared for

'when Clare bumps into him and Joe Brody returning from their walk.'

We've had a call that your dog never goes out for a walk.

I've knocked on the door and dog's out for a walk. Rubbish complaint.

-He has a good run out the back.

-Yeah. He's got a nice shelter.

Waste of my time and of yours. Sorry to have bothered you.

-Just people are jealous.

-He's a nice boy.

-He's as good as gold.

-Thanks very much for your time. Thanks, mate.

-Thanks, anyway.

-Thank you. See ya.

'Clare leaves, happy that Charlie is a healthy, well-exercised hound.

'Hackney is one of the smallest of London's 33 boroughs.

'With more than 200,000 people, it's a crowded place.

'It's not just people who are competing for space.

'Clare's with colleague Imara to pay a visit to a one-bedroom flat

'that's supposedly home to a large number of cats.'

'Imara has visited before

'and found the flat was covered in cat urine and faeces.'

The RSPCA. You let my colleague in before.

We need to look at an address. It's about animal cruelty.

DOOR BUZZES

'She left, asking them to clear up,

'but it seems the family has now taken on even more moggies.'

Hiya.

It's Clare, the inspector at the RSPCA. Can I come in?

-We've had some more calls...

-MAN: They're my cats!

'One of the residents is not happy, but Clare's not easily deterred.'

-We've had a call about the animals.

-They're all right.

Then I need to come in and have a look, don't I? Thank you.

'The flat's cleaner. Now, Clare wants to check the animals.'

I'm looking at cats, mate!

'With such an affectionate dog, it's proving tricky.'

Darling, that's great...

'Jacqueline has taken in two more cats,

'but it seems she's looking after them for a relative.'

-What have you called this one?

-That's Patch.

-Patch!

They were underweight. Didn't look like they were fed much.

-You've been putting some weight on them, have you?

-Yeah.

'Jacqueline tells Clare she plans to keep them for a short time.'

As long as your daughter-in-law's going to take them back.

'Clare wants to assess the cats but the dark bedroom makes it difficult.

We've got Jack, Angel, Patch and Yankee.

-California?

-Yeah, California.

-Where's that?

-He's probably hiding.

-What colour is he?

-Black and white.

He was here before.

'The cats appear healthy, but with two extra mouths to feed,

'Jacqueline's feeling the strain.'

I'm going to help the lady, provide some food and things.

The cats are relatively healthy.

We've done neutering for them in the past.

-I can't let them go without food.

-No. They're obviously not hungry.

You've got food in the bowl. They're not starving.

We've got five cats and one dog. Nothing else?

-No lizards, snakes...?

-No. No.

-Scary spiders?

-No.

-Scorpions?

-No!

'Since the last visit, conditions in the flat have improved,

'but there's one issue to resolve.'

Imara, I'm going to get some food.

Can you have a quick chat about the litter tray?

'With such a large number of cats,

'the single litter tray is struggling to cope.'

-You might need more than one.

-I could get a bigger one?

-Yeah.

You can get a large one, nice and deep,

or one that's covered so the smell doesn't come out.

'Jacqueline's doing her best, but Clare offers an alternative option.'

If you don't hear anything, ring me and I will come and take them.

'The inspectors are assured the extra cats will be moving on to a new home soon.

'Clare's been pleasantly surprised with Jacqueline's progress.'

I was expecting to see the flat looking much worse than it did.

I expected to see more cats than we saw.

I thought that the lady had acquired more, ones that could have litters.

She's done exactly what I asked her.

She's maintained the flat nicely for the last year.

The situation's got a little bit worse

because she's acquired these two cats.

That litter tray is being used by all five cats

and probably hasn't been cleaned out for a week.

That's not acceptable for the humans, let alone the animals.

She's agreed to do something, and I think she will.

Clean out the litter tray, it's not a difficult thing to do.

'Later, the tiny puppies left to suffer after an internet scam.'

Looking at puppies on the internet, buying them,

having them delivered like shopping!

'And how to stay on the right side of a swan.'

They will try and hit you with their wings, which is quite painful.

-Feeling confident, Peter?

-Oh, yes!

Keeping a dog involves commitment on the part of the owner.

They need time and energy, but the commitment is also financial.

It's estimated that to keep a dog costs around £1,000 a year.

Sadly, some people underestimate these costs,

especially when an animal gets ill and the prospect of vet bills looms.

'This is the Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Leeds.

'Every year, the charity cares for 15,000 abandoned,

'unwanted or neglected dogs across the UK.

'These hopeful hounds on display are trying to catch the eye

'and be given the chance of a new home and a fresh start in life.

'But not all the dogs that arrive here are well enough to be rehomed.

'Assistant manager Emma Cooper's helping one unfortunate pup

'recover from a traumatic start to its life.

'Just a few days ago, Cracker was dumped in this backyard,

'suffering from a broken leg.

'Cold and wet, she'd been put out with the rubbish and left for dead.

'Shockingly, it's thought this was simply because

'her owners didn't want to pay to take her to the vet.'

It's disgusting. A dog that's so young in such bad condition

is dumped because of that.

Nowadays, pet insurance could have paid for an injury like that.

It's disgusting that she was left in such a terrible condition.

'The owners' disregard for their pet has meant the Dogs Trust

'has had to pay for Cracker's extensive treatment.'

The vet bills have come in at over £1,000.

She will need a lot of treatment for the next few months.

She's undergoing physiotherapy.

'As Cracker's injury wasn't dealt with straight away,

'treatment has been complicated.'

Because it had been left, the body had started to heal itself.

It was quite a difficult operation to get the bones realigned.

She does now have a pin in her leg.

Her tail has been docked. It is illegal to dock tails.

I don't know why it's been docked.

Sometimes, it's so that other dogs or people find it difficult

to read the dog's body language.

If it's not swishing around, it's difficult to tell if the dog's happy.

'Although the scar may look nasty,

'it's clear from her behaviour this pup is making a good recovery.'

CACOPHONY OF BARKING

'A week later. While Emma catches up with work, she's got company.

'Cracker still needs rest

'but, according to Emma, she's not usually this relaxed.'

She's a typical 14-week-old puppy.

She loves her balls. She loves running in the garden.

She's still on some cage rest. We don't want her overdoing it.

'But it's not all play for Cracker. It's time for her physio session.'

All we have to do is support her leg up there

and gently bend it in and out.

It's to make sure the muscles aren't fusing to the plate in her leg.

That's 30 of those, and we have to do that twice a day.

Doesn't cause her any pain.

It's very gentle movements.

Doesn't bother her.

'Cracker's leg is healing well.

'Before she can be rehomed, there's an appointment she needs to keep.'

Important day today. We've got a check-up with the specialist vet.

He's going to make sure the fracture site is healing properly.

Hopefully, he'll give the all-clear to send her to a new home.

Come on, madam. To the vet's!

'Emma and Cracker are making the short journey to Morley

'for an appointment with vet Tom Clarke.

'He performed the operation to fix Cracker's broken leg.

'It will be up to him to decide

'whether she's strong enough to leave the Dogs Trust.'

Hello, Cracker. How are you?

-She's doing really well.

-Very good.

That's great.

'After checking Cracker's health,

'Tom turns his attention to her damaged limb.'

If you could hold on to her head, we'll have a feel,

make sure everything's OK.

That's good. I think you've got a bit more movement,

which is really good.

'Tom is satisfied the leg is healing. He can remove the stitches.

Hold on to her head. I'll take her legs gently from under her.

You can have your tummy tickled for this little bit.

'This is a simple process, it might not be as easy as it should be.'

We're going to try and take these stitches out.

It's a bad idea having black stitches on a black dog!

We will do our best and see how we get on. Good girl, Cracker.

'This procedure can be painful,

'but Cracker's courage shines through and she doesn't flinch.'

-You're so brave. Good girl.

-That's healed up nicely.

-Brilliant.

-Good girl, Cracker.

That wasn't so bad, was it?

'So far, so good, but there's one final test Tom needs to perform.

'He needs to check how freely Cracker can walk.'

See how she's getting on with that leg.

There's a good girl.

-Cracker, come on.

-Are you going to come over here?

Are you going to come here?

She's a lot better than she was in the week. She's coming on well.

'But Tom thinks Cracker needs a little more rest and recuperation

'before she's fit for adoption.'

You know what you're doing.

You know about the physiotherapy.

In a week's time, she can go to a foster home.

I would see her after a week.

You could show them what you've been doing

and the degree of restriction she still needs.

-Thank you, Tom.

-It's been pleasure.

-Come on, madam. Good girl!

-There we go. See ya later.

-Bye, now.

'For now, at least, it's back to the Dogs Trust.

'Emma's hoping it won't be long before Cracker's found an owner.'

Cracker's story has generated a lot of interest,

because of where she was found and the injuries she had,

being found on a discarded sofa by the rubbish bins.

She's had such a bad start, it would be lovely

to see her in a new home, starting a new chapter and being happy.

'Though she's loveable, Cracker is going to need more vet treatment.

'Will anyone be prepared to give her the fresh start she needs?

'Later, a test for Cracker. Will she get on with her new big sis?'

Let's go meet your new mummy and daddy! Good girl.

Be on your best behaviour, won't you? Yeah. Good girl.

'And two tiny puppies in desperate need of help.'

They're absolutely loving their milk.

Do you want some more?

On Animal 24:7, we often point out

how wildlife and our modern world don't always get on.

Swans are a perfect example of that.

They may look robust, but they do get into trouble with pylons,

fishing tackle or even motorways - the casualties just pile up.

Here at Shepperton Swan Sanctuary

there are plenty on the road to recovery, too.

'A bird's-eye view of Britain.

'This intricate system of roads and motorways can be confusing

'to a bird in flight.

'Often, swans are injured after trying to land on a wet road,

'mistaking it for a river.

'Today, traffic officer Peter Irons has come to the swan sanctuary

'for an important training exercise.'

-How important is it that traffic officers are confident around birds?

-We need to be confident.

We do come across swans on the motorways or near them.

They're a danger to themselves and to the general public.

A 35-pound swan through the windscreen!

We need to try to learn how to handle them before we have to.

Why do swans end up on motorways?

Our motorways, once they get a wet sheen on them, look like a river.

-The glistening top looks like water.

-They come in ready to land on water.

'So, it's time to begin the swan-catching lesson...'

This is your main lake...

'..with handler Peter Beeson.

'First on the timetable is theory.'

The first thing is to keep the birds away from our area.

We need to keep them away from the area, the motorway.

The best thing is to push them back to a fence, woodland,

where they can't use the power of their wings to give them advantage.

They won't peck you!

They will try and hit you with their wings,

which is quite painful, I assure you.

'This sounds like a dangerous task, but Peter has a plan.'

We'll try pushing them back as a pair, you and I,

-and then try to pick out a bird and catch them, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Feeling confident, Peter?

-Oh, yes.

All right, then. Let's try.

'It's time to put that theory into practice.'

You see the large bird here on the left? Go for that one, shall we?

'Teacher and pupil work together to herd the bird into the corner.'

That's it. Lovely. To the side...

'And the verdict? It's full marks.'

Very well done there, Peter.

You think you'll be confident if you find one on the motorway?

Provided I can find a corner to push it into, that's the difficulty.

Plus, you've got other added bonuses of trucks going past or whatever.

You can't stop them.

I feel more confident than I did, due to Pete's expert training.

'So, after his crash course in helping crash-landing birds,

'Peter heads back out on patrol.

'It's not just roads that these birds fly into.

'This male swan has had a serious run-in with a pylon.

'I've donned surgical scrubs,

'because this poor swan's wing is going under the knife.

'Vet Sally Gouldon treats over 200 birds a year here,

'many of them having collided with manmade structures.'

He was flying along and flew into some pylon wires and crashed.

Although the wing has mended, it's mended in a fixed position,

so the end of the feathers...

This is the normal side.

This is the dropped wing side and the feathers look a bit ropey.

These wings are supposed to be the same length.

-This one's a few inches shorter, and also they're a bit mangey.

-Yes.

Unfortunately for this bird, its wing will have to be removed.

Although amputation seems rather drastic,

the danger from feather rot and infection is much more threatening?

He won't ever be able to fly with the wing in this condition anyway.

'Sally preps the swan for his operation.'

This is to allow us to give some anaesthetic

and to run intravenous fluids in during the operation.

Is the head gradually going to go?

It is! I feel like I need to catch it.

'She begins by clearing an area of feathers.'

-Does the wound smell a bit?

-It's infected. Yes.

'The infection would spread and kill this swan.

'Sally must act fast to remove it.'

It's tricky telling the difference

between muscle fibres and blood vessels.

The muscle fibres she can cut. Blood vessels need to be sewn up.

Otherwise, you get a lot of blood loss.

'Sally has a stronger stomach than I do

'and focuses on the job in hand.'

This is where we hope we don't go back into the arteries.

It's reached a more vigorous phase.

Sally's got her hand on the bone

and is twisting it back to see what's still attaching it.

'Sally carefully removes the wing.'

-There you go.

-One for you.

'With the infected bone removed, this swan should recover.

'This has made me think I may not be cut out for surgery.

'For Sally, it's pretty routine.'

Looks a bit better, doesn't it?

-A bit tidier.

-Take your word for it!

'Finally, Sally stitches up the swan.

'He'll have to live out the rest of his days at the sanctuary.

'And, a short while later, a groggy swan starts to come round.'

Our amputee seems to be making a good recovery.

It's time to come out of intensive care and into the general ward.

He may not be missing his wing too much,

but swans do like a bit of company.

So he's got a friend in here, to aid his recovery.

'Coming up...'

Who's this? Your big sister?

'..Cracker the Rottie attempts to win over her new family.'

They have a Rottweiler. Hopefully, they'll be as good as they sound.

We were following RSPCA inspectors Clare Ponsford and Imara Alagaratnam

on their rounds in London.

It's a busy patch.

Often the issues can be dealt with quickly.

However, some cases can be a lot more complicated.

'Bethnal Green.

'Clare Ponsford and Imara Alagaratnam are responding

'to what sounds like a critical case.'

I've had a call to say that there's been a bitch and a 12-day puppy

that's been removed from this property.

There are still two 12-day-old puppies at the property,

not feeding on the mum, and the mum is still lactating.

'Without their mother, the puppies could be in a bad way.

'Imara's prepared to take drastic action.'

The puppies are only 12 days old.

They are dependent on the mother.

If there is no-one at the property, we'll force entry with the police.

'Imara's hoping that someone's at home.'

KNOCK ON DOOR

Hello.

'They are, and inside, Imara and Clare get a first look at the puppies.

'The bull mastiff pups have been well cared for,

'but Imara is keen to reunite them with Mum.'

You shouldn't separate the pups from the mum...

'The woman explains she innocently bought

'the mother dog from the internet for £75,

'unaware she was pregnant.

'When she realised, she contacted the seller again.

'He returned and took back Mum and the pick of the litter.

'The woman kept two puppies.

'Clare is sure this woman has been conned.'

You have, unfortunately, been the victim of a scam.

You've looked after his dog, taken it to the vet.

He's still got his breeding bitch back and the puppies.

'It's an unfortunate situation, but Imara and Clare's priority has to be the puppies.'

We can help rehome them immediately.

'The woman agrees to let Imara and Clare take the puppies.

'These two dogs are so tiny their eyes have still not opened.

'They will not only be missing the comfort of their mother, they will also be hungry.'

She's stuck with two puppies that she's trying to hand-rear.

She's taken advice from the right organisations.

This gentleman's got the breeding bitch and the best of the litter.

'Sadly, it's a scam that Clare's coming across often.'

People advertise their dogs, which they know are pregnant, on the internet.

If you have a number of breeding bitches, you need a licence.

He probably had one too many bitches so he advertised the dog.

75 quid for a bull mastiff's extremely cheap.

People are looking at dogs on the internet and having them delivered like it's shopping. Unbelievable!

'It's vital these two see the vet.

'Clare takes them to the Harmsworth Hospital.'

Come on.

-PUPPIES WHIMPER

-Oh, I know!

'These baby boys don't enjoy having their beauty sleep disturbed.'

They're angry cos I woke them up. I'll get them inside, in the warm.

-Do you want to look at some puppies?

-Yes...!

'Giving them the once-over will be vet Rachel Kirby.'

She's squeaking!

They both look very strong and healthy.

They're really mobile and active.

Just checking their palates. They can get split palates.

That they've not got any hernias, that their heart sounds healthy.

These guys look pretty good. Pleased with that.

'With a clean bill of health,

'the pups can be transferred to the hospital's nursery.

'After vet nurse Gemma Wilson has sorted out their beds,

'it's dinner time.'

They're absolutely loving the milk. You want some more?

'With no mother to suckle from, the team will become surrogate mums,

'providing for the orphans around the clock.'

They need two-hourly feed.

That'll be for the first few weeks,

so it's quite on-going caring for puppies at this age

without a mum.

'These youngsters have had a frightening start to life,

'but they're in the best place and should grow stronger every day.

'Still to come,

'the playful pups come out of their shells.'

You're not allowed to chew that! No!

None of that, please. You're not allowed to chew wires, OK?

Not allowed to chew wires. Bad dog.

Back to Leeds and the story of Cracker.

The 14-week-old Rottweiler had suffered a badly broken leg

and had been dumped in a dirty backyard.

Thankfully, she was rescued.

Following an operation,

Cracker's injured limb healed well.

After being given the all-clear, she's ready for rehoming.

'At the Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Leeds, every dog is treated well.

'But there's one puppy who's being spoilt more than most

'by assistant manager Emma Cooper - Cracker the Rottweiler.

'This adorable pup's days of relaxing in Emma's office

'could be about to come to an end.'

A family that were registered with us are on their way to see Cracker now.

They have a Rottweiler already. Hopefully, they'll be as good as they sound.

'Tracey Gee and her son Tom

'spotted Cracker on a recent visit to the centre.'

-I've come to see Cracker.

-Take a seat in the training barn.

Somebody will bring him through.

'They own one Rottie, a female called Diesel.

'Before they can take Cracker home,

'they need to find out if the girls get on.'

Let's go meet your new mummy and daddy! Good girl!

Be on your best behaviour, won't you? Yeah.

'This is a big moment for Emma and Cracker.

'If they don't like each other, this youngster's search for a family

'will have to begin all over again.'

Who's this? Your big sister?

You going to say hello?

'While you might have expected Cracker to be the nervous one...

'it's Diesel who's not sure of this young whippersnapper.'

Who's that? Are you a bit frightened of her?

'But thanks to a couple of toys, Diesel overcomes her fears

'and Little and Large are soon happily playing ball.

'It looks like Cracker's passed the Diesel test with flying colours.'

That went absolutely perfect.

Their dog seemed to like her and she seemed to like their dog.

Absolutely spot-on. I'm really excited for her.

'Cracker will leave the comfort of Emma's office in a few days,

'to begin life with the Gees, but cases like hers aren't rare.

'The Dogs Trust regularly takes in sick or injured dogs

'that have been abandoned by owners unwilling to pay for treatment.

'Just like Slinky the greyhound.

'Like Cracker, Slinky's owners dumped their pet

'without getting his broken limbs fixed.'

Cracker's a lucky dog.

Being a puppy, her bones will probably heal very quickly

without repercussions.

We do have dogs such as poor Slinky.

He was limping badly when we picked him up and, after examination,

we discovered that he'd had two broken ankles at the front.

'Slinky's bones have repaired themselves,

'leaving him permanently disabled.

'It seems this is preventing him finding a new owner.'

I don't know if it's that he hobbles

and his injuries are long-term that's putting people off him.

You couldn't wish for a better dog. He's loving.

Good with dogs, good with people.

I can't believe he's still here.

'Emma's more optimistic about Gaby the Jack Russell,

'another pet abandoned because of disability.

'Her right eye is damaged and she'll soon have it removed.

'Emma hopes this one-eyed Jack will tug at a visitors' heart strings.'

I don't think the fact that Gaby will only have one eye will hinder

her prospects of finding a home.

Hopefully, someone will come along and she'll have the sympathy vote

because she has only got one eye and she'll find herself a home.

'A new life for all the dogs here could be just around the corner.

'It all depends on who walks through the door.

'And Cracker is living proof of that.

'Now renamed Roxy,

'she's enjoying her new life with the Gee family in Wakefield.'

I don't understand why people can dump them.

When you look at them,

who would want to do any harm to them?

But now, better quality of life, and certainly looked after.

'Tracey got Diesel from a rescue centre.

'Although it's taken her a while to get used to her new step-sister,

'they're getting along like a house on fire.'

The big one sulked for a while. Now they never leave each other alone.

Best of friends.

'Diesel's not the only member of the family that loves having Roxy.

'Son Tom's delighted, too.'

She enjoys having fun.

I think she's got to run around and do all the things other dogs do.

She's lovely, puts a smile on your face.

Can't wait to see her when you come home

or when you wake up, you want to make sure she's OK.

Really nice to have around.

'A month ago, Roxy was dumped with the rubbish in the freezing cold.

'Now she can enjoy the snow, safe in the knowledge

'she'll soon be in a cosy warm place inside her loving new home.'

Finally, we're back to London.

Two bull mastiff pups were rescued

after being forcibly orphaned from their mother.

Without Mum's milk, the 12-day-old pups were in danger of starving.

Thanks to the RSPCA's intervention, they were taken to be hand-reared.

Time to see how they're getting along.

'Harmsworth Animal Hospital in north London.

'The two bull mastiff pups are relaxed in their temporary home.

'It's been a month since they were brought in.

'David Grant and his staff have been busy helping the bundles of fur

'grow into strong boys.'

They came in very, very young and unable to feed for themselves.

They were syringe fed by the nurses and that had to be round the clock.

They've just got to the stage now where they can eat for themselves.

'While the intensive care has helped them survive the first six weeks,

'it's no substitute for their mum.'

With these puppies that should be with their mother,

they don't get the colostrum from the mother's milk, the first milk,

which contains antibodies

and protects them in the first eight weeks.

They probably haven't had that and so they're at risk of infection.

So it's a real challenge rearing these to an age

where we can send them on to a homing centre.

They horse around with each other, jump and play

and all the joie de vivre things you get with puppies.

They look as though they're zonked out,

they've been having a good old time.

They're probably having a siesta.

Come on, then. Oh! You're a big boy!

That's a god dog!

That's a good puppy!

'It doesn't take long before the siesta becomes a fiesta

'for one of the brothers.

'While one stays asleep, it's clear David's got his hands full.'

You're not allowed to chew that.

No! No. No.

None of that, please.

You're not allowed to chew wires. OK? Not allowed to chew wires.

You bad dog.

'Despite their cheekiness,

'everyone has fallen for the puppies, which is a good thing.

'They're going to have to stay a little while longer.'

You might think it's easy

to get this cute little puppy into a rehoming centre.

Let me tell you, it isn't.

The homing centres all over the country are completely full.

The reason they're completely full

is lots of people are abandoning pets, not just at this time of year,

which is traditional, at Christmas.

It seems to be going on all the time.

We have to phone round the county,

begging for places.

So they're going to stay with us for Christmas.

We hope we can rear them up another three or four weeks,

and then send them to a good home.

You're trying to bite, are you? Are you trying to bite?

In you go. That's a good puppy.

'The puppies will go to a rehoming centre in a few weeks.

'For now, they're in the best place to take things nice and easy.'

If you know of a wildlife crime or a creature that needs protection,

there are dedicated professionals

who'll answer your call around the clock.

They are the people we meet on Animal 24:7.

'Next time on Animal 24:7,

'investigations into an alleged dog fight.'

The dog was covered in blood.

The wounds were bleeding profusely. There was a large pool of blood.

On a white dog, that would look pretty shocking, pretty horrific.

'Two donkeys crippled by cruelty.'

The feet are very, very long and overgrown and twisted.

This is the worst case I have seen at Newton Farm.

'And I don a disguise to see if this dog's ready for rehoming.'

It's like Stars In Their Eyes, but I'm not sure who I'm coming back as.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd