Episode 11 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...

-GROWLING

..Paris, an illegal dog with the potential to kill.

So, if these dogs are put down, who's to blame?

The owner. The owner's to blame.

With training, being kept on a lead, he could reverse what was potentially happening.

He's chosen not to do that.

Therefore, unfortunately, the dog's paid the price.

-Good boy.

-How this cat was left fighting for life after a fox attack.

Jackson is not...

a nasty cat. It's purely that, despite the very strongest

painkillers that we can give him, he's still in a lot of pain.

And the little hedgehog that's netted itself a whole lot of trouble.

We're trying very hard to engage the council to stop putting

in netting on football fields, cos this becomes a common occurrence.

In many parts of the country, especially our inner cities,

dangerous dogs are becoming a real problem.

Some councils, like Newham, here in East London, have decided to get tough.

And today I'm out with a team who are tackling this problem head on.

Newham, home to 250,000 residents and London's 8th-largest local authority.

It's also in the front line on cracking down on dangerous dogs.

Today, I'm with dog warden Tina Delaney,

whose job is to keep banned breeds off the streets.

Like all local authorities, we do have a problem with people using dogs to intimidate people.

They don't care that they run round and frighten people, that they chase cats and kill them, you know.

In Newham, that isn't tolerated.

People shouldn't have to live in fear of people having dangerous dogs.

It's only a matter of time before somebody's actually bitten or a fatal attack takes place.

There is really that danger, you think, these dogs can kill?

Yes, they have the potential to kill, so we want to prevent something like that

possibly happening in Newham, which is why we deal with dangerous dogs.

'Last year, Tina and her team seized 55 pit bull types.

'Now she has a series of warrants to take away some more.

'First on her list is a frightened neighbourhood.

'And a home she's visited before.'

We had a complaint about there being two dangerous dogs on the premises.

The dogs have allegedly attacked a child - run after the child.

They didn't cause any injuries to the child, but, obviously, the mother became very frightened.

The owners...

the people on the property yesterday did say the dogs had actually chased a child.

We've had several complaints about the dogs running riot,

doing their own thing, chasing people, fouling the property.

-When we came yesterday, one of them was definitely a pit bull type.

-Definitely a pit bull type?

Yes, so we've come back today with a warrant to remove that.

'In the last year alone, over 4,000 people were attacked by dangerous dogs.

'Allegations that the one living here chased a small child make it a very serious case.'

'Everyone needs to be on their guard.'

KNOCKS ON DOOR

Hiya. We're the London Borough of Newham Animal Welfare.

We met yesterday. What we've got today is, this police officer has a warrant to enter the premises.

If you can place them back into the cage, where they were yesterday, I'd be grateful for that.

-'Inside the flat are two dogs - Terror and Paris.'

-BARKING

'Paris seems particularly aggressive.'

-Right, OK. What breed do you believe your dog to be?

-Staff.

Right, OK.

The dogs' owner isn't home, leaving his nephew to look after the animals.

The one on the right, I do believe is definitely a pit bull terrier, OK?

The other one does look to me more like it's a Staffy type,

but I am going to remove both of them for them to be assessed.

'But Tina still needs to talk to the actual owner.'

-Hello.

-'And he's not happy.'

Listen. OK, listen.

OK, if you're going to be abusive, I'm going to end the call, OK.

If you want to listen to me, I can explain to you what's actually happening.

Right, OK. We've had several complaints

about your dogs attacking people, running around the square,

being very problematic to your neighbours.

I believe Paris is a pit bull, so she's going to be removed,

because your dog, under the Dangerous Dogs Act, I believe to be an illegal dog.

'Now Tina needs to remove the dogs.'

If neither of them are pit bulls, they will be returned to you immediately.

However, I don't think, definitely with Paris, that is going to be the case. OK.

I'll give you call back later, OK.

Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

BARKING AND GROWLING

'But they're both potentially dangerous.'

I want a Vari Kennel, two graspers and a muzzle, please.

'And Paris is particularly threatening.

'It's vital Tina get her tactics right.'

The female, the bitch, is very aggressive towards strange people she doesn't know.

So to make it nicer for the dog, because, obviously, we don't want to wind her up

or make her more aggressive, we're going to ask the person who's familiar to handling her

to place her in a muzzle and put her in a cage, which is a nicer way to take her down.

This goes over the top and around, behind her ears,

as tight as possible, so that she doesn't remove it. OK, then?

'Tina and the rest of the team retreat to a safe distance while the muzzle is fitted.'

How are you doing?

'But there's a problem.'

-What did he say?

-He said he's having trouble putting a muzzle on her.

'It's a worrying development. There are now no guarantees

'these dogs can be safely removed from the flat.'

Coming up...

A suspected pit bull owner gives the team the slip.

The guy we're looking for has just jumped the fence. Sue's just seen him. He's down there.

-Has she seen him?

-Yes, she's seen him.

I'm sorry. I know.

And a tangled hedgehog refuses to play ball.

I'll see if he'll relax.

If not, it might be a better idea to give him some gas.

Owning a pet is a responsibility and a responsibility that brings bills.

Some owners find it a struggle, but, thankfully,

the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, or PDSA, is on hand to help out.

The charity was set up in 1917 and provides over 2 million free treatments

to sick and injured animals,

especially to owners who find it tough to pay private fees.

Around 150 animals are brought into the Bow hospital every day.

We'd like him to be at least nine...

even nine weeks three days, really.

So, the reception is often packed with pets waiting to see the vet.

But some cases are just too serious to join the back of the queue.

This is Jackson.

He was rushed in overnight with life-threatening injuries.

It's thought he'd been attacked by a fox.

Head nurse Geraldine Coles has been trying to keep him stable.

He has extensive injuries to one leg

and also possible injuries to other legs.

They are amazing, cats.

With huge injuries, they will make it back home.

Hello, Jackson!

Jackson needs an X-ray.

Oh, you're such a good boy!

But he's in great pain.

And when a cat's in pain, they can be dangerous to handle.

Good boy, good boy, good boy!

Can we just knock him straight out?

And out of the cage, the level of pain becomes all too apparent.

Good boy, it's all right, it's all right. Good boy!

Jackson will have to be given a general anaesthetic before any X-ray can be taken.

There's a good boy.

Jackson is not...

a nasty cat. It's purely that,

despite the very strongest painkillers we can give him, we've given,

and, unfortunately, he's still in a lot of pain, so...

On here, you can see our problem

is that we have extensive skin damage here and tissue damage underneath as well.

So, this, even without any broken bones, is a very severe injury for this cat.

Now he's sedated, his injury can be properly assessed.

Unfortunately, I noticed he is actually an entire male.

When cats aren't neutered, entire males go off hunting for a female.

And this is how they get into trouble.

They go off roaming and get hit by cars or get into fights.

The X-rays show a smashed femur and a dislocated hock.

The injuries are severe.

Jackson's leg cannot be saved.

It's a critical time for Jackson.

Even if he survives surgery, he'll then have to learn to walk on three legs.

200 miles away is the PDSA's sister hospital in Leeds.

Belle's another pet who wasn't neutered when she was young.

Now she's suffering the consequences with a potentially life-threatening problem.

Vet Sean Wensley know she could be running out of time.

She's been drinking quite a lot.

She's been down in the dumps...

in herself. Also she's got a bit of a discharge from her vulva.

Belle hasn't been spayed.

We know these signs of drinking a lot and having a bit of a discharge can be signs of an infection in the womb.

If the condition is left untreated, it could kill Belle.

She's going to be operated on this morning.

We're going to find out if there is an infected womb and, if there is,

we'll have to remove it and treat any remaining infection.

Hopefully, in that case, she has a good chance of recovery.

Without the treatment, it could prove a fatal condition.

The suspicion is that Belle has a condition called pyometra, an infected womb.

A hysterectomy may be the only option.

Belle's anaesthetised and prepared for surgery.

Vet Carolyn Oldridge thinks the infection has spread and the womb cannot be saved.

My colleague, Carolyn, has opened Belle up for the operation.

She's quickly identified the uterus, which is the part

that we were concerned would be containing some pus and infection...

in this condition, pyometra.

What we're doing now is just tying the uterus off

and the blood vessels that supply it so it can be safely removed.

Neutering is something we're always promoting as a charity.

It's part of responsible pet ownership.

Not only does it help prevent the thousands of unwanted puppies

and kittens that are born every year, it also has clear health benefits.

The case we're seeing today is one of the cases

and one of the medical conditions that can be prevented by spaying a female dog.

So we've got this infection of the uterus, which is potentially life-threatening.

Obviously, if we've removed uterus at an early age, by spaying, then we can prevent

conditions like this, as well as others, like certain types of cancer.

Belle's owners now face an anxious wait to see if the surgery has been a success.

At the opposite end of the country,

the problem of not having a pet neutered early is coming home to roost.

For Belle, the surgery may be over, but 200 miles away in Bow,

Jackson's life-changing operation is just beginning.

At just six months old, he's about to have his crippled back leg taken off.

And as he's prepared for this amputation, staff will do all they can to make sure he pulls through.

Later, Jackson's recovery.

Losing a leg...all the orthopaedic specialists state

that dogs and cats have three legs and a spare leg.

And the team continues its search for dangerous dogs.

If you don't open the door in the next couple of minutes, we are going to break entry.

You've been given ample opportunity, and we do have a warrant to enter the premises.

With football being such a popular sport for children,

many families have goals in their back garden.

While they can be a lot of fun for the kids,

they can be very hazardous for wildlife.

As night falls across Britain, the wildlife landscape changes too.

A whole host of nocturnal animals wake up and begin their day.

But when the sun rises, and they veer too close to humans, they can find themselves in danger.

Inspector Selina Chan has been called to a house in Pontypridd,

where a garden visitor has got in a tangle.

Hi, there. Hi, it's Selina with the RSPCA. I'm here about the hedgehog.

Yes, come through here.

Mike Hutchins found the prickly intruder earlier this evening.

-A lot of it is still... caught up.

-Caught up inside.

-Was he in this football net, then?

-You can see where he's twisted and turned.

OK, no problem.

Mike has already tried to release the hedgehog from the tangled net but without success.

-How did he get in here?

-Just through the side gate there.

-Right.

Hedgehogs can suffer serious injuries from being caught up in nylon netting.

Selina needs to act quickly.

What we'll do, I'll be taking him back to the vets anyway.

Hopefully, they'll be able to just make him a little bit sleepy so we can cut that off.

-If he's a good weight, I'd be looking to bring him back and re-releasing him here.

-Yeah.

-OK, is that all right?

-That's fine.

-Great.

The prickles on a hedgehog are there to stave off predators.

Even though Selina only wants to help, she still needs protection.

The creature will be frightened, so Selena works quickly.

And now he's ready to head to the vets.

Luckily, at the local surgery, there's an experienced helping hand waiting to see this little hog.

-Hello.

-Hello.

We've got a hedgehog tied up in football netting.

-It's wrapped all the way around.

-OK.

Vet nurse Angie Duff has dealt with many similar injuries.

We're trying very hard to engage the council to stop putting in netting on football fields.

This becomes a common occurrence, and you find foxes get caught quite a lot also.

Come on, then, son.

You see...

The twine itself is really thin, which is always a problem -

the thinner the twine, the harder it is for them to get out.

The thicker stuff, you usually find they can untangle themselves.

So, what I'll do, quite gingerly, is try and roll him onto his back

and see if we can get an idea what's going on there.

When hedgehogs are scared, their natural instinct is to curl up.

I'm sorry. I know.

It's vital Angie gets a look.

I'll see if he'll relax.

If not, then it might be a better idea to give him some gas.

But this little fella is refusing to play ball.

Give us a look!

Angie decides to use the special chamber to help him relax.

So, we'll just pop him in.

We'll just get an idea of what's going on here

-and then we'll weigh him and see whether we need to give him any antibiotics and painkillers.

-Mm-hm.

With the hedgehog fast asleep, it's time to untangle his paws.

Come on, then, sunshine.

But after all that effort...

-It's not even there.

-Oh, he's managed to cut it away.

And, thankfully, this boy's injury-free.

His feet look absolutely fine.

There doesn't appear to be any lacerations or cuts or any blood coming from anywhere at all.

He's looking in really good nick, isn't he?

He actually does look in very good nick. He's a big, bruising boy. I think he's ready for action.

Now night's fallen, it's time to go back to where he was found...

Brilliant! Thank you very much.

..the hope being that he will pick up familiar scents and head home.

But before releasing him, Selena has a bit of advice

to hopefully stop this hog scoring an own goal again.

What I would ask you to do, if you can, is to raise the net

a little bit, just so he doesn't end up getting caught back in there.

He'll be fine. He'll probably wait for us to all go away and probably wander off.

It's a good ending for this little hedgehog.

Hopefully, he'll get another couple of years out of him,

and hopefully the caller will be able to see him again in the garden.

Coming up...

The cat suffering the consequences of a back-street brawl.

It looks as though he's been bitten by another animal.

Obviously, they've got dirty teeth.

Last year, there were more than 5,000 dog attacks on members of the public across Britain.

In Newham, East London, I'm out on patrol with dog warden Tina Delaney

as she tracks down dogs she suspects are both aggressive and illegal.

Dog warden Tina Delaney is executing a warrant to seize two suspected pit bulls.

One of the dogs, Paris, is extremely aggressive.

The owner is not at home, so Tina has asked his nephew to muzzle her.

'Meanwhile, we've been waiting outside.'

OK, so you have her on a lead, yeah?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-..Sit.

-'Several minutes have passed.'

-Come on. There's one.

'The first dog, Terror, is under control and can now leave the flat.'

-He's a little terror.

-He's a little terror, is he?

-Only in like a mischief way.

-In a mischievous way, not an aggressive way, apparently, which is good news.

'But Paris is a very different dog.

'It proved impossible to fit a muzzle.'

Good girl, Paris.

'But the tenant has managed to get her into a kennel.'

BARKING AND GROWLING

'Her raw aggression is a clear sign of menace.'

-So what's she like when you take her out in public, then?

-As good as gold.

'Without a cage to stop Paris, Tina could easily be attacked.'

-What's up with that catch?

-It doesn't seem to be closing properly. ..It's all right, Paris.

'She needs to make sure the door is properly secured.'

-That's it. It's in now.

-It's in, yeah?

-Yep.

'Tina's priority now is to get this dangerous dog on board her van as quickly as possible.'

-Quite heavy.

-Yep.

'And it seems this action may have prevented a bad situation getting a whole lot worse.'

The guy said, about a month ago, she was in season, and they were mating.

So, obviously, she, to me, is a pit bull terrier type.

If she's been bred with him, then she's going to produce some nice pit bull puppies.

'Both these dogs now face an uncertain future.

'Pit bulls can sometimes be returned to their owners if they apply to the courts for a licence.

'But the way Paris is behaving could mean she's just too dangerous to ever go home.'

For Tina, a gritty determination to track down evasive owners is a key part of her day.

She's been trying to speak to one owner for the past 11 weeks.

Today, with the help of the police, she's very keen to get a result.

-What are we expecting here?

-We've had complaints about the guy having a pit bull.

He's already had two pit bulls previously removed from him,

so the complaint is that he's been intimidating people with the dog.

'Tina needs to get inside this house, to check the animals over and speak to their owner.'

This is actually the fourth call that we've made.

So, if he doesn't answer this call, we will be coming back and going through the door.

'She thinks she's heard barking.

'And there's another clue that someone may in fact be at home...'

Upstairs window open.

'..but ignoring her calls.'

If you don't open the door within the next couple of minutes, we are going to break entry.

You've been given ample opportunity, and we do have a warrant to enter the premises.

'Finally, Tina's determination pays off.'

Hello. We're from the London Borough of Newham Animal Welfare Service.

These officers are from the Metropolitan Police.

'Inside, there are four dogs - two crossbreeds and two pit bulls.'

-Come on!

-Any worries with that dog?

-No, not at all.

'But it seems this case is going to have a very different outcome.'

-They're registered, yeah? They're registered.

-They're registered.

-Don't you remember coming here before?

-Yeah, I do. They're registered as what?

They're registered as pit bull type.

'Pit bulls can be kept if they're licensed.

'The dogs must also be microchipped, tattooed and muzzled when in public.'

Hello.

If you can just get it to sit so I can see its tattoo.

Yeah. I've seen that one. Brilliant. Thanks very much for that.

-What were you checking up on in there?

-They've got tattoos on her thighs -

on the inside of their thighs - so it just shows that they are registered pit bulls.

'With no evidence of any wrong-doing, Tina accepts that these dogs are legal.'

Thank you very much. Thank you.

One thing that does occur to me, though,

-is that there have been complaints about his dogs.

-Yes.

They shouldn't have been out in public without a muzzle, should they?

No. But what he's saying is, that's the neighbourly dispute and that actually hasn't taken place.

We don't have any proof to state that that HAS taken place.

If we did see these dogs out in a public place without muzzles, they'll automatically be seized.

What's happened here is, he hasn't answered our calls. That means we've had to upset him.

He's not very happy. Come into the property and potentially force entry, because he's just been ignoring us.

If you ignore us, with dangerous dogs, we're here to enforce that.

We're here to remove the danger from the public and we will come back.

He was very close to having his door broken down, wasn't he?

Yes, he was. I don't think he believed that was going to happen, but it would have done.

-Because it's serious.

-It IS serious. He's had ample opportunity to contact us, to state, yes, I have two dogs,

you can come round, you can look at the paperwork.

You can see that they're legal. Then that isn't a problem any more.

'It's late afternoon. There's still one more call Tina needs to make.

'It's another complaint about a pit bull running free

'in communal gardens, frightening a mother and her child.'

Hello - police officers. Can you open the door, please? We need to speak to you.

'There's still no answer, but Tina can hear someone inside.'

-Is there a garden out the back?

-Yes, communal area.

-Was that where the incident happened?

'The team decides to split up to check the back garden.

'Suddenly, they get a lead.'

'A man's been seen escaping with a dog over a back fence.'

Yeah, the guy we're looking for has just jumped the fence. Sue's just seen him, he's done there.

-Has she seen him?

-Yes, she's seen him.

'A frantic search is now under way.

'But can they find the suspect and his dog?'

Still to come...

The police have pursued him.

He's taken of his jumper that you saw and run with the dog.

Now back to the PDSA.

Earlier in the programme, we saw Jackson the cat brought into the Bow hospital

with horrific injuries to his hind leg.

It was thought he'd been attacked by a fox.

Sadly, vets were unable to save the leg.

It would have to be amputated.

Surgeon Peter Fox is in charge of Jackson's life-changing operation.

Jackson's breathing and heart rate are closely monitored.

Peter begins to carefully remove the leg.

At just six months old, it's a terrible price to pay for a fight with a fox.

But though a drastic change, Peter has some reassuring words.

He will hopefully make a full recovery. The owner was very concerned

whether it was fair to go on, given the extent of the injuries,

but losing a leg...all the orthopaedic specialist state

that dogs and cats have three legs and a spare leg,

so they won't miss an odd leg, especially the back leg.

They cope very well.

The wound stitched, now Jackson's operation is over.

He can begin his recovery.

The next day, Jackson quickly bounces back.

After surviving a fox attack and major surgery,

vet Elaine Pendlebury is now happy he's well enough to go home.

Miss Tebbit, please? Hello!

Jackson's worried owner, Elaine Tebbit, has brought the family to collect him.

You don't want to worry too much. I know, you know, when a cat loses a leg,

it's something we all think about as a problem, really.

You'll find, you know, my experience, in quite a few days,

weeks or whatever, they adapt so well.

Don't worry about it, because what you've got to think about is he's quite happy, really.

-So shall I go and get him now?

-Yes.

-Are you all right? Are you prepared? Don't worry.

I'll take your basket and I'll just go and get him and bring him through.

A bit nervous. It's a bit worrying to see a cat with no leg, and I've got to look after it.

It's not going to be a very nice sight.

Hello!

So he's all right in there.

I mean, I know it looks a bit grim, but the stitch line looks quite good, really, doesn't it?

And he's been eating well and everything.

-If you're at all worried, remember, give us a call.

-I will do.

-All right?

Fortunately, cats do recover quickly from amputations.

But when it comes to his nocturnal adventures, in future, Jackson will have to watch his step.

In Leeds, patients are still coming in as well as going home.

The latest to see senior vet Sean Wensley is Sooty, a black cat who has been fighting.

-This is Sooty?

-Yes.

-Hi.

I believe he's maybe been in a bit of a scrape?

-It sounds like it, yes.

-How is he in himself at the moment?

Not as I'd like him to be, definitely.

Sooty's owner, Joyce Brotherton, is a PDSA volunteer, but now it's her and her pet that are needing help.

Has he got a temperature?

Sooty's got a painful lump, and Joyce is concerned.

It seems as though he knows what I want and I know what he wants, you know? We're kind of...

We respond very much together.

This looks as though he's been bitten by another animal,

and obviously, they've got dirty teeth, and he's got dirty skin, so the combination

just allows a bit of infection then to get in through the bite wound.

So what we're going to need to do is get this cleaned up...we'll need to give him some antibiotics as well.

-We can feel there's some infection in here, so we need to just try and get that out just now.

-Right.

With a quick kiss to reassure him...

..Sooty is taken through to the treatment room.

Animal bites harbour secondary dangers.

Sooty's brawl on the back streets has left him with a painful infection.

So we can see there's a little drainage hole here and there's pus and blood,

and it's a bit smelly as well,

so we can see there's quite a lot of swelling around here - that all needs to come out.

Sean and care assistant Lynette Westcott need

to clear out the infection so the wound can heal properly.

CAT MIAOWS Steady, steady, steady. There we go.

That's draining out nicely now - we're nearly getting...

clear fluid coming through, instead of all that nasty pus.

This treatment is doing nothing for Sooty's temper.

All right, well done.

-Come on, little fella.

-But thankfully, the wound is now clean.

Sooty's given some antibiotics.

You're going to go home now.

And it's time to be reunited with his owner.

All done. Sorry to keep you waiting.

Hello, sweetie. Are you all right now?

He was very good for that.

All I would ask is that you put maybe a little pinch of salt in some lukewarm water,

in about a pint of lukewarm water, and if you just put some cotton wool, then,

in the lukewarm water with a little bit of salt and just sort of drizzle it over, it would be good.

This will gradually just heal over by itself, and hopefully, you know,

-his appetite will start coming back and what have you.

-Excellent.

Obviously, we just ask, if you have got any concerns, to pop him back.

Sooty is no longer in pain, so hopefully, now his mood will start to improve.

Back in the recovery ward, it's time to see how one of Sean's other patients is getting along.

A few hours ago, Belle had major surgery to have her infected womb removed.

The operation has been a success.

She can now go home.

Hiya. Well, she's had her surgery today, as you know. That was all basically uneventful.

If you keep an eye on her over the next 24 hours, just check that she...

She's going to be a bit slow.

If you're worried at all about the wound, if it's looking red or bleeding

-or she's picking at her stitches, just give us a call.

-Yeah, I will.

-OK. So I'll go and get her for you just now.

-All right, thanks.

Owners Ian and his daughter, Bethany, aren't the only ones who've been missing Belle.

We have another dog at home same as her,

and she's been stood up at the window wondering where she is, you see?

There she is, pleased to see you.

Belle is still a bit woozy, but her family don't seem to mind.

They are clearly thrilled to have their beloved pet back.

Earlier, I joined Newham Animal Welfare warden Tina Delaney

as she executed a number of warrants on people suspected of owning a illegal pit bulls.

After knocking at the door of one address, Tina was told

the owner was seen jumping over a large fence with his dog.

He's a pit bull, so it's about...tan, about this big...

'The team is continuing their search for the suspect and his dog.

'Round the corner, they find a clue.

'Dumped on the floor is a jumper they believe

'the suspect has taken off to prevent him being identified.'

This is what the guy was wearing that we've been chasing.

-OK. If we split up, we've got our numbers, haven't we?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, OK.

Any dog that you think is possible, just stop it, and we'll come.

We believe that the guy has jumped over the wall in the back garden and gone through to the community area.

The police have pursued him. He's taken off his jumper that you saw and...running with the dog.

The team searches the area to see if they can spot the wanted man.

But after scouring local streets and parks, he's nowhere to be found.

Back at the address where we started. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the gentleman on the streets.

'It is a setback, but, as ever, Tina's are not prepared to let him get away.'

He may be thinking, well, we've come back again today,

and maybe he's realised that we know that his dog is actually illegal under Section One

of the Dangerous Dogs Acts and realise that's actually why we're coming back.

So that's probably the end of it for today, but is it the end of the story overall with this dog?

No, it isn't. We need to trace the dog, we need to see where he's taken it.

He hasn't helped his case by allegedly running over the back wall and running away with the dog.

'Tina will return and make regular checks at the address to track down

'the owner and his dog, but for now, there's a different priority.'

'Earlier, Tina seized two suspected pit bulls.

'One of the dogs, Terror, was able to be taken out of the flat on a lead,

'but the other, Paris, was aggressive.

'She could only be safely removed by being caged in a portable kennel.'

BARKING

-Where are we going with her, Tina?

-We are going to take her over to the dangerous dogs unit over there.

'Now we've arrived at Newham's high-security pound.

'Dozens of banned breeds are housed here, all waiting for their future to be decided.'

-Let me know if I should do anything or if I should stand well back.

-Just stand back, that's fine.

'Now Tina faces a potentially dangerous job...'

Hello, Paris. Good girl.

'..getting Paris into a kennel.'

Good girl, come on.

'This is a strange environment for any dog, but Paris has already shown a menacing side.

'She is extremely unpredictable.

'Fear can often trigger aggression, a serious risk in such a powerful dog.'

-She looks kind of scared, actually.

-Yeah, she is. But we also have to be careful.

'And the surroundings could make things even worse.'

You know, she's not as confident, there's a lot of noise here,

a lot of activity, and she doesn't know what's happening.

Good girl! Go on.

Come on. Go on.

Go on.

Come on. Good girl!

'Finally, Paris is locked away.

'Next up is Terror, who's showing none of Paris's fear.'

You can see a big difference in him coming into the kennels and her coming into the kennels.

He's very confident, he's wagging his tail, he's looking around. He's a very different dog.

'A decision will soon be made on whether these two are banned breeds.

'Even if they are, the owner could be given the opportunity to have them returned.'

But from what you can tell of the shape of this dog and of Paris, what are you suspecting?

He isn't a Staff. I mean, Staffies go up to 16 inches high - he's not a Staff.

She's definitely, I think, going to be a pit bull terrier.

We'd have to wait for the confirmation, but I think there's a good chance that he will be as well.

'But as we settle Terror...

'Paris's fear is prompting a return to that aggression we witnessed earlier.'

GROWLING

Paris, shh. Good girl.

Don't be silly. GROWLING

'All the time, she's displaying behaviour that could seal her fate.'

So, if these dogs are put down, who's to blame?

The owner. The owner is to blame.

With training, being kept on a lead, he could reverse what was potentially happening.

He's chosen not to do that. Therefore, unfortunately, the dogs pay the price.

Sad, isn't it?

(Good girl.)

24 hours later, the dogs were assessed.

Both were found to be pit bull type, but their futures couldn't be more different.

Terror was allowed to go home, providing that he was registered and kept under strict conditions.

Paris was simply too dangerous to ever be allowed out in public again.

Sadly, there was no option but to put her to sleep.

If you think you know of a case of wildlife crime

or a creature that needs immediate protection,

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

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

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