Episode 2 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,

'dealing with the dangerous dogs on Britain's streets.'

He's biting again. Ti, he's biting again.

'The growing problem of our abandoned pets.'

It seems to be happening more and more.

People move and will just kick the cats outside.

'And the race to release four seals back to the wild.'

Time is of the essence.

We need to hit the road and get them out as quickly as possible.

Around 1,000 dangerous dogs are seized from London's streets

every year, and those that are taken in the borough of Newham might well end up here

because here, they're tackling the problem head on.

But even a team as experienced as this can still meet fresh challenges.

'This is Tina Delaney.

'She's part of a team whose job it is to keep the growing number of dangerous dogs

'off Britain's streets.

'In the past year, Tina and he colleagues have seized 100 dogs,

'including 39 illegal Pitbull Terriers.'

Why are these dogs such a menace in the wrong hands?

Because they are very powerful, a very muscular dog

and a very pleasing breed.

If you want the dog to be human aggressive,

it's very easy to teach it to be human aggressive.

-If you want the dog to fight, it's very easy to teach it to fight.

-That's quite frightening.

It's such a powerful animal that if you can train it to do nasty things, that's a real danger.

If you can train it to do nasty things, you have a potential fatal dangerous weapon.

'Today's first call is to a garage in East London.

'Tina has removed Pitbulls from the premises before.'

We're going to a yard where it's alleged that the guy at the yard is keeping Pitbull Terrier type dogs.

This guy's been in trouble with you before for having dangerous dogs.

-We've seized two Pitbull from him.

-He doesn't seem to have learned his lesson.

If he has Pitbulls on the premises, he definitely hasn't.

'The dogs are reportedly kept in a yard at the back of the garage.

'The police will keep an eye on all exits.'

Situate someone here and then round the back. See if he's in the shop.

'Because Tina has removed dogs from here before,

'and her strong suspicion that Pitbulls are being kept here again,

'they have a warrant to search the premises.'

Is that the yard?

'The owner isn't around, just the garage staff.'

I have a warrant to enter the premises.

'In the yard, we immediately find a dog who doesn't seem overly pleased to see us.'

Hello. DOG BARKS

'We're told his name is Tyson, or Ty for short.'

It looks like a powerful dog. But to determine it is a pitbull, we need to do some precise measurements.

'At first glance, Sergeant Ian McParland of the Metropolitan Police Status Dog Unit

'suspects that Ty could be a Pitbull.'

Look at the physique. Look at the muscles, look at the head.

The head, having said that, is a little bit more Staffy than classic Pitbull.

-But it's a lot bigger and taller than a Staffy.

-A lot taller.

The Staffy, 14 to 16 inches at the shoulders.

This dog's going to be 21, 22 inches. Square looking dog.

Look at the muscle in the back end, the power.

'Tina discovers there are two younger dogs in a nearby outhouse.'

-I need you to be definite. Is this dog going to bite?

-Step back. You step back.

Hello.

That's a Pit.

'She's also pretty sure about at least one of the dogs in here.'

The bottom one there looks very Pitbully.

That one there looks... kind of...Bulldoggy cross. We have to get them back and examine them.

'There's still no sign of the owner.'

Hello?

'But the team wants to search the premises thoroughly

'to investigate reports the dogs may have been used illegally for fighting.'

There's an allegation these dogs might have been used for fighting,

-so are you looking for paraphernalia associated with that?

-I'm looking for break-sticks, flirt-poles,

but I'm also looking for drugs, for needles, anything that might have been used to stitch dogs up.

Anything that's been used to treat a dog without going to a veterinary surgeon.

'There's no evidence of dog fighting. Tina's priority is now to remove all three dogs.'

Do you have a key to this cupboard?

Hello. Hello.

-Good dog.

-There you go. Come on.

What do you make of these two, now you've got them in the open?

Erm... For me, this one is very Pit... Pitbull-like, but obviously we have to do a thorough examination.

'Even though Tina suspects one of the dogs is a Pitbull, its behaviour so far has been very passive.

'But she fears Tyson will be anything but.'

'Still to come - Tina treads carefully, as she takes on Tyson.'

I have to be careful because of the type of dog and because he can do severe damage.

'And the dedicated wildlife worker who's up all hours caring for deer.'

You can't be sick. Never be sick.

If you're sick, even if you feel as though you're dying in your bed, you've got to do your feeds.

The credit crunch has not only had a big impact on households, it's also being blamed for a large increase

in the number of pets found abandoned.

In 2009, more than 21,000 animals had to be rescued by the RSPCA

after being left by their owners.

As one inspector in the West Midlands is finding,

that 6% rise is all part of a growing problem.

'On her patch in Coventry, RSPCA inspector Nicky Foster

'is no stranger to dealing with cases of abandoned animals.

'But today, she's responding to a disturbing report of animals

'which have been left home alone at two addresses on the same road.'

We've had a complaint come through about an abandonment of some cats.

It appears at the minute that two properties have been vacated within the last month and both have gone,

leaving cats outside to fend for themselves.

'Nicky begins the investigation at the first abandoned house.

'But there are few clues and no sign of cats.

'After checking round the back,

'Nicky decides to begin door-to-door enquiries.'

-Hi. Sorry to bother you, RSPCA.

-Yeah, no problem. I've caught one.

-Right.

'It appears Nicky has struck lucky.

'Neighbour Clare Patterson seems to know the whole story about the abandoned cats.'

-When did she move?

-She went last...Wednesday.

'Nicky established that two families on the street have moved out,

'but both have also left their cats behind.'

OK, I'll grab my basket

and we'll get the one sorted out that you've got in your garden.

-And then we can deal with the others.

-Lovely.

-All right. I'll meet you at the side. Thank you.

'Neighbour Clare has already managed to catch one of the two cats and put it in a cage.'

-Do we know his name?

-Yeah, it's Mickey.

'This cat was abandoned by Clare's next-door neighbour six days ago.

'And Clare's been looking after him ever since.'

Hiya, handsome.

He's quite healthy, isn't he? He's quite well fed!

'Clare has also been taking care of a second cat called Kushka.'

This one's been abandoned about a month.

'She's been living wild after being left by her owners,

'who used to live further along the street.'

She was in very, very bad state.

Hefty little appetite, but she was just skin and bone.

'It's incredible Kushka has been able to survive alone for more than four weeks.

'But that's not the only surprising fact about her.'

-She was pregnant but at this point, we don't know where these kittens are.

-No.

'If Kushka has just had kittens, her health could be at risk.'

She's still a bit on the lean side.

'And there's no sign that she's still feeding.'

I can't feel any milk there coming out at all.

We'll pop her in there and I'll go and have a quick look for peace of mind.

'Although Nicky's checks seem to suggest Kushka hasn't had any kittens, she still wants to be sure.

'Clare believes she has seen going to and from of the neighbouring gardens.'

I have watched and she goes into the bushes here. There are two sheds.

She's been going in and out through there. That goes into somebody's shed.

-I've been in at night to look.

-Right.

Nobody's come out, but also no noise at all.

'If Kushka has had kittens, there's definitely no sign of them at the moment.'

OK.

Obviously, if anybody sees or hears these kittens appear anywhere,

then give us a call and we'll come and get them.

But we'll get her sorted.

'As Nicky heads back to the van, she's already reflecting

'on a frustrating situation, and one that's completely avoidable.'

It appears over time there's been various families come and go and have left cats behind.

They're then breeding, as they've not been neutered,

and the problem appears to be escalating. So we'll do what we can.

It's a huge problem and we're seeing it happen on a daily basis.

Cats particularly seem to get a bad deal when people move out,

whether they're going into another rented and they can't take them with them or it's a money issue.

It seems to be happening more and more.

People will just kick the cats outside.

'And Nicky feels these owners have a lot to answer for.'

Moving out and leaving a cat outside is not a good option. It is illegal.

You have a legal obligation to meet the needs of your pets.

That, for the cat, is feeding, watering,

providing a suitable environment.

So leaving it outside, it's not an option.

There are so many other avenues you can go down.

You can contact the RSPCA, or other cat agencies, charities, that will help out.

'Usually, these cats would go straight to the local RSPCA animal home,

'but with so many recent abandonments, they're having to be settled in a private cattery.'

It's nice to know we've got them in somewhere, they're not on the streets,

they're not breeding and creating more problems for us in the future.

So it's peace of mind that at least these two are going to be safe and warm and have regular food and water.

'The cats' owners were never tracked down.

'But the good news is that Kushka has since been found a new home.'

In London, dangerous dogs are a growing concern,

as more owners choose to keep animals which can pose a real threat to others.

Earlier, I joined a team from Newham Council Animal Welfare Service,

as they try to get a grip on the problem.

The first stop was garage where Pitbull Terriers have been kept in the past.

We found three more dogs there

and Tina Delaney suspects that at least two of them are Pitbulls.

'Tyson, or Ty for short, is the dog causing most concern.

'Tina also believes that one of the two younger dogs they found here is a Pitbull.'

Good girl!

That's the two puppies in and the big dog to go.

I can't believe Tina's bravery, in getting involved with these animals that could be so dangerous.

But it's rooted in her experience.

'The garage owner isn't here, but Tina is armed with a warrant to search the premises.'

Initially, he said he was on his way down.

'They're seizing the dogs because they're suspected Pitbulls,

'one of the four banned breeds listed by the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.

'And Tina's only too aware of the danger Ty poses.'

He displays aggressive behaviour towards us but he is a guarding breed. He's likely to do that anyway.

He's not necessarily going to do that when he's removed off the premises, but at the moment this is his home.

They have said once you get him out, he's OK.

But I have to be careful because of the type of dog and because he can do severe damage.

'Maybe he was just being a good guard dog, but because Ty seemed very aggressive earlier,

'Tina's using a grasper.'

Good boy. Hello, Ty. Hello.

'He does seem to have calmed down.'

Good boy. Come on.

Come on. Good boy.

'And Tina shows him to the kennel.'

Good lad.

'But aggression towards people isn't the only concern.'

Good boy.

'Dogs can be a danger to each other.

'And as soon as Ty's in the van with the other two, tension grows.

'All he and the other male want to do is to get to each other.

Move!

I want him, sideways.

'The vari kennels may not be strong enough.'

He's biting again. Ti, he's biting again.

We're going to have to call for another van soon.

-Another van.

-OK, another station van.

Yep. Can you get me a grasper now?

Can you get me a grasper? Where's the one I just had? Where's the one I just had?

What we need to do is move him out.

'Ty is taken out of the van.'

Tina, what was all that about?

It's two male dogs being in the same vicinity. They're very dog aggressive.

-Two males together is just the wrong chemistry.

-Too close proximity.

-This one tried to get out of his cage.

-They were both trying to get out of the cage.

-Chewing at the lock.

-Successfully, it looked like!

-That's quite a lot of jaw power, so... It's only a vari kennel.

'The two male dogs will be travelling to the kennels separately.

'For Ty, it's a police escort.

'With the dogs loaded, Tina's thoughts have turned to the animals' living conditions.

'And in particular, the outhouse where the two younger dogs were being kept.'

And the light was off.

So if we look at turning the light off and coming in.

-Then that's the environment that the dogs were in.

-That's pretty dark.

As you can see, it's absolutely pitch black dark.

The light wasn't on, we've turned that light on.

If you look around the environment they were in,

obviously it's hazardous.

-There's no water for them. There's no food bowls for them.

-It stinks.

It absolutely stinks.

'On the floor, there is clear evidence of just how starved the dogs have been.'

Obviously, they've been quite hungry. In this dog poo, you can see wires that they've eaten.

I can see it in this as well.

Copper wire, in what looks like something that's been...

It looks like they've been eating... You can see they've been eating it. That looks... Dog teeth.

'This discovery highlights the hazardous conditions and suggests desperately hungry dogs.'

So it's not only important with the breeds of dogs,

it's also the conditions the dogs were living in.

Because everything together shows a picture that tells a story.

This is the second time we've seized dangerous dogs from the premises.

It's the second time they've been seized from the same kind of conditions.

And yet, he hasn't learned from that.

'Tina will question the garage owner about all her findings as soon as she can.

'But for now, there are more warrants to serve.'

So what's happening in this next job? Something a little unusual.

It is unusual. We're going to an address where it's alleged there's an Argentinean Dogo.

An Argentinean Dogo? What is that?

-One of the other dogs that's described on the Dangerous Dogs List.

-What kind of a dog is it?

It's a very muscley, powerful dog. It weighs between 40 and 45 kilos.

It's pure muscle. We've never had any in the borough before.

There have been some in the UK, but never that I know of within...

This will be the first time that we'll actually be seizing one.

How's this particular one come to your attention?

We've had complaints from a few of the neighbours to say that the dog's been jumping over the fences.

'Even for Tina, with all her years of experience,

'this dog is set to present her with a new challenge.

'Still to come - the foreign invader who's alarming the Dangerous Dog Squad.'

-A serious dog, I gather.

-They are. Bred for hunting mountain lions and pumas in Argentina.

-You're joking!

-No.

-Hmm... Could hunt me then!

Wild animals can be at their most vulnerable in the first few months of life.

It's often then that dedicated carers are called upon to step in and nurse them back to health.

The RSPCA operates four wildlife rescue centres

across the country and they're all devoted to treating animals

and returning them to the wild as soon as they possibly can.

'West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Somerset.

'Every year, they care for around 4,000 wild animals from across the whole of the West Country.

'Today is a big day for these four young grey seals.

'Fishface, Reef, Tap and Slipper came to the centre after picking up injuries at sea.

'They've been coming on leaps and bounds,

'thanks to lots of fish suppers from West Hatch supervisor Shawn Clements.'

A couple of them had some bite wounds on the hind flippers.

The majority of them came in with minor injuries, but post-weaning, so weren't quite coping really.

'Today they're heading back to the cold waters of the Atlantic.'

Come on, guys. Do you want this? Come on.

'From now on, there'll be no more fish deliveries.'

We release them at a healthy weight, natural for this time of year, so they have a bit of a head start.

It's going to take them a while to be able to learn how to hunt for fish. They've got to find that food.

We've got a lot of good data to prove they survive really well, but I always worry about them.

We've put a lot of time, effort and care into them.

And now it's down to them to go into the big bad world

and try and find food and hunt for themselves.

'So, once the last supper has been served...

'to get the seals out of the pool, it has to be drained.'

The idea is now we'll pull the plug.

We've got to wait for them to be free of water, so we can catch them.

'It'll take nearly half an hour to empty,

and the team here need to stay on their toes.'

We've just got to keep them in the pool whilst it's emptying.

Otherwise, if they come out and they jump in,

it could cause a lot of problems, they can injure themselves.

That's why we've got a couple of us in here, just to keep them in the water.

It's extremely stressful for them, what we're putting them through today.

If you think from the point when we started emptying the pool,

to the point of release, you're looking at 3.5 to 4 hours.

'Despite this being confusing for Fishface, Reef, Tap

'and Slipper, it'll be worth it in the end.'

'They belong at sea.

'As soon as the water's gone, they'll be coached into crates

'and off to the coast.

'In another corner of the sanctuary,

'staff are gearing themselves up to care for a nervous new arrival.

'This is eight-day-old Torrington, a baby roe deer,

'who's been brought into the centre as an orphan.

Breakfast time, come on.

Come on, then.

'It's the job of Emily Atkinson to care and feed him.'

There you go.

He was found on the side of the road covered in afterbirth.

So we assume that maybe mum was hit by a car and then gave birth by the side of the road.

'Hand rearing fawns means they have to bond with just one individual, who effectively replaces mum.'

Are you not hungry? No, you're just mischievous. Aren't you?

'So for Emily, that means round-the-clock work.'

You don't get any days off for four months. Literally.

As you can see, I've been up since 6am, and I'm sure I'll be awake at 12 tonight doing feeds.

You can't be sick. Never be sick.

Even if you feel as though you're dying in your bed, you've got to get out and do your feeds.

'Today, there's a new arrival to add to the workload.

Apparently, he was next to his dead mum.

So obviously, he's a true orphan. He's not a young fawn.

He's about a month because he's quite big.

I've got the feeling he's going to be a bit of a... hard work for me

because he's a little bit more established to his mum.

We'll just have a look to see what sex he is.

And it's a girl.

It's a little doe.

'The West Hatch deer are named after the places where they're found.

'So this doe is now called Stowey.'

She's so frightened, because she's lying next to mum. She's waiting for mum to get up and feed her.

'The first priority is a vet check with David Cooper.

We're just going to check her over for dehydration. Obviously, she's not fed for a couple of days,

so she could be weak. Also, I'm going to check her over for injuries to make sure she's not wounded.

David is surprised by Stowey's condition.

She's remarkably strong, all things considered.

Two days is a long time for her not to have fed.

And also, potentially, she could have been attacked by predators or dogs etc.

So with no mum too look after her, anything could have happened to her really.

The fact she's got no sign of any injuries is quite remarkable.

'But the next few hours will be crucial for Stowey.'

That's fine. Can she stand herself?

'After a month with mum,

'Emily isn't sure how she'll take to bottle feeding.'

-You're just a little bit thin, aren't you?

-A wee bit skinny.

'She'll attempt to find out later.

'But first, Stowey needs a bit of time to settle in.

'Back at the seal pool, the water is just about gone.

'Now the task for Shawn and his team is to encourage Fishface, Reef, Tap and Slipper into crates.

'Naturally, they don't look a very attractive proposition to the seals,

'so they try to give their keepers the slip.'

Back, right into the back there. That's it.

'But soon, they're all in.'

Gone better than I expected, to be honest. Many hands make light work.

It was quick, as stress-free as possible, from that perspective.

Now the journey starts.

'It's a journey that will end with their release in North Devon.

'It's vital during the trip that they stay as cool as possible.'

The air conditioning will be blowing, keeping their body temperatures down.

Time is of the essence. We need to hit the road, get there and get them out as quickly as possibly.

OK.

Off we go.

'Coming up - the seal pups face the perils of returning to sea.'

They've probably been in horrible storms, bashed against the rocks,

so some of this is going to be bring back some anxieties.

Now, we're heading back to East London,

where I was out on the road with the Dangerous Dogs Team.

Tina Delaney of Newham Animal Welfare Service has already

picked up three suspected Pitbulls from one property.

Now she's investigating reports of a misbehaving Argentine Dogo,

a much rare breed that's also on the banned list.

'At an address in Plaistow, the team is responding a to a report

'that a dog is scaring the neighbours.

'It's reportedly an illegal Argentine Dogo.

'I've arrived with Tina and the team to establish whether it is.

'Sergeant Ian McParland of the Metropolitan Police Dangerous Dogs Unit

'is on hand to determine whether or not it is a banned breed.'

-I gather you've seen these before.

-I have, yeah.

There have been some others in the Home Counties that we've taken through the court process.

-A serious dog, I gather.

-Bred for hunting mountain lions and pumas in Argentina.

-You're joking?

-No.

-Hmmm... Could hunt me then!

Hello there. Police officer. Could you come and open the door, please?

DOG BARKS

'We can hear the dog, but we still don't know whether it's a Dogo.

'As we execute a warrant to enter the property, I'm nervous.'

-I'm a police officer. We've come to talk to you about your dog.

-Is your dog OK?

'The priority is to get a clear view of the dog, but from a safe distance.'

Can you just call your dog?

'The dog's owner isn't home, just his partner.'

Just stick him in one of the rooms for us a moment. I'll come and have a chat with you.

'Ian can tell immediately that the dog is not an Argentine Dogo.'

We've got a warrant to search the house for a Dogo Argentino because it's a prohibited dog.

It's actually an American bulldog.

I thought it was an American bulldog as soon as I saw him.

Thank you for coming.

'But the dog's behaviour is still bothering Tina.

'When his owner Mohammed turns up, she expresses those concerns.'

People should and have to be able to go into their garden without a dog entering their garden.

The residents were complaining.

Also, your partner has just told us that you do let the dog off the lead

and it runs up to people.

If it does that in a public place and people are worried,

it can be seized under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act,

regardless of its breed, OK?

You need to be responsible as an owner

that when you're out with your dog your dog doesn't run up to other people.

Fair enough.

He displays very confident behaviour and he's only young.

'Mohammed takes me the inside to meet the dog who's called Casper.

'He's still a puppy despite being a fair old size.

'He was actually a present from Mohammed's four-year-old daughter.'

-Like you say, when you get up close to him he's quite a soft dog, isn't he?

-He is a friendly dog.

-And really you think he's OK with your little girl?

-Yes, I mean...

It seems quite surprising for a four-year-old... Casper, come on.

You haven't seen it, when I'm not home, you can ask my partner,

they're running up and down the stairs with the blanket and everything.

-She sleeps on him. She does everything on him. You should see it.

-Really.

Yeah, of course.

What do you think about the instructions you got from Tina and the policeman?

Fair enough, I put my hand up,

there is times I did let him off the lead and everything.

And he does approach people and everything so, yeah.

But he's not approaching them in a bad manner.

No, but people don't know that.

The trouble is because these dogs are associated with others that can be dangerous,

people look at it and think, "Oh, my God, there's a big dog coming towards me."

Casper, that's his name, he's a friendly dog.

Mohammed just needed guiding in the right direction.

It's been a worthwhile visit for Tina.

And there's just one more call to make tonight.

What's the report here?

We're going to a premises where it's alleged that a young lad

has a Staffie cross that's jumped over the front garden

and ripped the clothing of somebody who's passing by.

We don't believe it's a pitbull, but we have to check that out as well.

We have to advise him that he has to be a responsible owner.

'The Staffie cross in question is called Crash.'

-So he was the one that jumped up to the person with the clothes?

-Yes.

Right, OK, was he out on his own?

'His owner, Pat, claims his dog was provoked by a group of lads.

'But Tina is still concerned by the dog's behaviour.'

Regardless of how Crash is, you might think he's a lovely dog,

if he's ripped somebody's clothing, then that's quite serious.

Crash, come.

Under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act,

if your dog even runs at somebody barking, let alone rips their clothing,

then it can be seized as a dangerous dog.

'Pat is worried about Crash's health and asks Tina for advice.'

-You said you'd been to the vet?

-Yes.

-'She recommends castration.'

Might giving him the snip help to calm the aggression problems

and make it easier for Pat to take him out and about?

Yes, if you castrate him, there are so many unwanted dogs at the moment

that we advise people to castrate their dog, have them neutered,

because there are so many dogs being put to sleep.

It's going to be beneficial for him,

especially if he's already developing problems with his testicles.

It's going to make no difference to him if you remove them.

It's not going to make him fat or lazy - these are myths people have.

-OK, then? Brilliant.

-Thanks a lot for your time. Good to see you. See you, Crash.

He's a very helpful lad.

He sounds like he's taking our advice.

He's got concerns about his dog's welfare which is highlighted, which most people won't do.

I'm happy that's going to be the end of the matter.

Yes, it's a serious incident because the dog has ripped a member of the public's clothing.

However, it seems to be a one off event. It was a worthwhile call.

For Tina advising people about responsible dog ownership

is much more satisfying than seizing potentially dangerous dogs.

BARKING

At the maximum security kennels the three dogs Tina removed

from the garage earlier are settling in.

Ty and the other male who's called Bully are once again noisy neighbours.

You can see problems with their temperament here, can't you?

You can and they haven't actually seen each other, they can only hear each other.

One of them was taken round the back of the kennels and the other one came in through the front.

They can't see each other because it's a completely solid base.

This is how they behave when they're only able to hear each other.

Did you have no option of putting them further apart in the kennels?

There isn't any kennels anywhere that a dog won't see another dog or hear another dog.

After an independent assessment, Ty and Bully were found not to be pitfalls

and were later returned to their separate owners.

The owners were served with warning notices ordering them

to improve the dogs' living conditions.

Sadly, the female dog was confirmed as a pitbull and was later put down.

It's been a long, challenging day for Tina and her team,

but they know there will be many more

in the battle to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs.

Now we're heading back to the RSPCA's West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Somerset.

Earlier we saw four grey seals being prepared for their journey

and released back into the sea.

Elsewhere in the centre wildlife assistant Emily Atkinson

is preparing the difficult task of hand rearing some orphaned roe deer.

At West Hatch it's a big day for eight-day-old Torrington.

Having only just lost his mum, he's about to be introduced to another resident.

You can have a friend.

Six week old Winsham has been hand reared by Emily for the past month

and that's required her being on hand night and day.

OK.

It's quite exciting to see what their first instincts

will be with each other.

I've got a feeling maybe the elder one might be a little bit taken aback a little bit more.

Obviously he's not had any interaction with any other roe dear,

so it'll be quite exciting.

Socialising the fawns is a vital part of their rehab.

Winsham, come on then, boy.

Feeding time.

And a new friend.

Hello.

Who's this?

At first Winsham seems more interested in lunch.

All gone, that's it.

But soon the two fawns are becoming acquainted.

Who's that? Look.

And with the odd, inquisitive sniff, they're getting along very nicely.

I think it's just brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

So with the fawn friendship developing Torrington

and Winsham will stay in the paddock together.

These guys will basically bond for life which will be so lovely.

They'll bond until they're released.

When they're released they stay together for quite some time.

In the previous years I've released roes together they've stayed together

for the six months I've tracked them for.

So that bond is very strong.

Over in the barn, another roe dear, one-month-old Stowey,

is settling into life at West Hatch.

She was found by her mum's body at the side of the road.

Today is the first time Emily is going to attempt to bottle feed her.

The first feed is usually pretty hard

and the fact they're not used to human beings.

She'll probably kick and scream, but we shall see.

SCREECHING

Ssh-ssh-ssh.

Emily settles Stowey down.

All right.

Ssh-ssh. OK.

Then shows her the bottle.

What's this?

And she doesn't need asking twice.

There you go, see?

You're hungry.

It's quite unusual for roe deer to take straight away.

This is a really good sign. This is fantastic, really.

Obviously starving, bless her.

Because she's feeling so well, it's a good sign that

I can mix this sooner rather than later which is brilliant.

The signs are good for Stowie but for a dedicated carer like Emily,

it's set to me many more sleepless nights as she plays mum

to all the roe deer.

70 miles away on a North Devon coast is the picturesque village of Lee.

One, two, up!

Emily's colleague, Sean Clements

has arrived here to carry out his own special mission.

After a two and a half hour journey from West Hatch,

grey seals, Fish Face, Reef, Tap and Slipper

are ready to be released back into the wild.

This location has been chosen to give the four seals

the best chance of survival.

We've selected this site purely

because there's a local colony of seals, grey seals,

just around the point so the idea is by releasing them here,

they'll meet up with them and find out where the local food supply is.

That's the theory behind it anyway.

So, we're not just abandoning them in the middle of a beach,

where they're not going to know where to go and what to do.

Seals are a popular tourist attraction

and a crowd has gathered to watch the show.

But Sean knows it isn't always just a case of opening the crates

and watching them go.

Hiya, folks, just a quick little something to say.

We've got boards to hopefully funnel them down into the sea.

They won't come directly for you,

they're just trying to get out of the water possibly.

Enjoy the day with what you're about to see.

It's impossible to predict how the seals will react

when the doors are opened.

They've become accustomed to a freshwater pool.

It's been many months since these seals were last in open water.

So, Sean is nervous about the release.

They came into us, thin and emaciated, they've probably been

in some horrible storms, bashed against the rocks.

Some of this is going to bring back some anxieties.

But after a moment's uncertainty...

..the seals are soon on their way.

All in all, it's gone very, very well. Better than usual.

For Sean, this is the culmination of months of hard work.

Getting to see them through to release,

from when they come in sick, literally on death's door.

It's the best part of the job.

It might be their natural home but right now,

this is a whole new world for Fish Face, Reef, Tap and Slipper.

Although Sean is confident they'll be OK.

It's a massive learning curve from now on.

Later today, they'll pick up with the other seals.

They'll naturally work their way southwards along the coast,

down to Cornwall, where there are loads of seal colonies.

They'll hopefully live a nice, tranquil life,

as I would expect them to.

If you think you know of a case of wildlife crime or a creature that

needs immediate protection, remember there are dedicated professionals

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

They're the people we meet on Animal 24/7.

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