Episode 7 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...

SHE SIGHS

..the perils of a high-rise rescue...

They can gain momentum and height by just continually running around

until they've got enough height to get away.

It wouldn't be very long before, A, it ran out of height,

and, B, it ran out of wall, and it would fall.

..the battle to get a stranded goose loose...

It's a really small hole, this.

I don't know whether you'll fit through it.

I just want to make sure I can get back out.

Otherwise, we'll have a rescue of an inspector and a goose on our hands.

..and I join the fight

to save one of Britain's most endangered and dangerous reptiles.

The idea was to swab their mouths,

but it was deemed a bit too dangerous to do that, really.

In many households, pets are like part of the family,

but with the recession biting hard,

an increasing number are being abandoned.

In England and Wales, around 55 are dumped every day,

meaning the RSPCA are busier than ever.

Life as an RSPCA inspector comes with many highs and lows.

In London, Clare is about to experience both on the same job.

-An abandoned cat...

-MEOWING

..on a sixth storey balcony.

I've had a number of calls from residents

and from the housing authority about a tenant that has vacated property

quite a number of days ago, unexpectedly,

and they've left their cat on the balcony,

which is six floors up.

No balcony is a suitable place to leave any animal,

whether it's on a ground floor, first floor or the sixth floor, but particularly not a cat.

They're very good climbers. Six floors up,

they going to go for a bird or anything that's going past.

It's very hot, it's undoubtedly got no shade or anything out there.

No, it's a hopeless place to leave a cat.

Clare is shown up to the sixth floor.

We're going 46, this way.

And, as the flat with the cat is deserted,

the next door neighbours let her onto their balcony.

What's it called? Do you know what it's called, hun? No?

Clare's been told there's another cat inside the flat.

Come on, baby.

Come here. Clare MIMICS KISSING

And, to add to the problems, she's not exactly keen on heights.

Oh, I need to get off his balcony.

I'm six floors up and I can see the cat on the balcony

but there is a possibility there's another cat in the property,

which obviously we need to try and gain access to,

because there is quite clearly a cat out here.

Come on. Oh, it's so frightened.

And it's not the only one.

If that wasn't six floors up, I'd just climb over there, you know?

But I'm quite frightened.

A locksmith has been called to get them in next door.

But sometimes an RSPCA inspector has got to do what an RSPCA inspector has got to do.

I am going to go for it because I'm worried that it's quite frightened.

My only concern... Obviously, then I can see into the flat if the other one's in there before we...

This door might even be open, you never know.

SHE SIGHS

Making sure she doesn't look down...

Oh.

..Clare carefully climbs over.

And now she can see inside the flat.

They've quite clearly moved out. There's nothing in there whatsoever.

But I can't see if there's another cat

cos it could be in one of the other rooms. SHE TAPS ON GLASS

Despite Clare's courageous climb,

she still can't get to the cat on the balcony.

There's a large gap here.

You can see my hand.

And the cat is small enough to just travel itself right underneath.

The problem is, we are quite high,

it could get off this balcony if I scare it too much.

So I'm trying to encourage it to come out without scaring it too much.

Cats do have a righting reflex that means they always land on their feet.

You can't stay there. Oh, you're so sweet.

There are lots of stories about cats surviving big falls.

come on, darling.

But a drop from this height would almost certainly kill her.

I can't grab the cat up here on the sixth floor.

It's a very confined environment

and cats are very notorious

for sort of doing an effect almost like a cycle track.

They can gain momentum and height by just continually running around

until they've got enough height to get away from you.

It could potentially try and do that up here.

It wouldn't be very long before, A, it ran out of height and, B,

it ran out of wall,

and it would fall, and I really can't take that chance.

Next door neighbour Evan has been feeding the cat for the past few days

and is keen to help.

But the cat's confused and scared.

MEOWING I know, baby. Come on.

Do you want to get in the box? Go on.

And, as they wait for the locksmith to arrive,

suddenly Clare has more company.

Hey! I've just turned round just to look through the window again

cos the locksmith is on his way up, I can hear him ringing the doorbell,

and the second cat has appeared at the window,

locked inside the flat, which is good news,

cos then hopefully this one will come out and join its brother or sister.

This is far more friendly, look.

For Clare, it's a very disturbing case,

as these animals have clearly been abandoned and left to starve.

I find it unbelievable that someone would actually intentionally walk away from a property

and leave their animal locked inside.

Even if they've provided water for a few days or so,

they're not checking on whether it's all right, hurt itself,

needed some companionship.

And the fact that one's out on the balcony, which...

I guess they were in such a hurry to get out,

they didn't even realise the cat was out on the balcony, which is even more shocking, isn't it?

She's anxious to seize these cats,

but how long that will take is still very much up in the air.

Still to come - Clare discovers an empty flat with a very hungry cat...

They've obviously intended to leave the cat.

Whether they intended to come back or not is a different matter,

but they quite clearly intended to leave it. Shocking.

..and I'm on the trail of one of Britain's most feared predators.

-Nice one.

-Beautiful male. Oh, my gosh, you can see how warmed up they are.

-You've got a firm hold of him, have you?

-Yeah, I have.

I wouldn't get too close to this one.

Sometimes wild animals can get themselves in trouble

when they come across man-made objects.

When this happens, it's often RSPCA inspectors who have to come in and help the stricken animal.

But as those inspectors know only too well,

even reaching them can often prove a very challenging job.

In Cheshire, RSPCA inspector Anthony has had an unusual call

and he's decided he needs some additional help from a colleague.

Fellow inspector Lorna Campbell is on her way to meet him.

He's had a call come in about a goose that's got itself stuck down a septic tank.

It is apparently about 12 foot down a very narrow tank.

He doesn't think he's going to be able to get it on his own.

It is a bit unusual.

I've never heard of it before and I'm not quite sure how it ended up down this narrow septic tank,

but they say don't underestimate animals.

They certainly do the daftest things.

I don't fancy being the one who goes into the septic tank

so I think we'll nominate Anthony for that one.

-Hiya. You all right?

-You all right?

Farmer Jeffrey explains the goose went missing last night.

And Anthony has spotted exactly where he's got to.

-I think it's an old septic tank. It hasn't been used for 20 years.

-Oh, my God.

I don't think there's going to be any harmful gasses down there.

-Yeah.

-And the goose is obviously still alive.

-Have you seen it?

Yeah, it's right in this bottom corner here. So...

It's quite a lively goose, isn't it?

-Last night, it was like this, with its wings, hissing at me.

-Yeah.

I thought, "That's where you are!"

So do you think you can fit through that hole?

I think we can get down there, yeah, but obviously I just want to make sure I can get back out as well.

This job's already proving a tough call.

Anthony is anxious to rescue the goose but he wants to make sure

he doesn't jeopardise his own safety too.

It'll just be a case of me going down there, grabbing the goose,

and then if I can come, say,

-four or five rungs up, pass it to you...

-Yeah.

Before I go down, I just want to make sure I can get back out.

Definitely. Shall we measure you and measure the hole?

You don't want to measure me, it's a bit embarrassing. I am very thin.

-Have you got overalls?

-I'll put some overalls on, hard hat and a mask,

just in case, but I don't think there's anything down there,

-otherwise, the goose would be ill by now.

-Yeah.

Before Anthony can attempt to rescue the goose,

he must ensure he's properly kitted out.

I look like I'm going to a fancy dress party, don't I?

The farmer's ladder will help Anthony climb down into the septic tank.

But the real worry is the sheer lack of space.

It's a really small hole, this, Anthony.

I don't know whether you're going to fit through it.

Luckily, he's a very slim inspector.

I just want to make sure that I can get back out.

Otherwise, we'll have a rescue of an inspector and a goose on our hands.

As Anthony squeezes his way through the tight gap,

he's anxious not to spook the stranded bird.

GOOSE HONKS

I've got the goose.

-Lorna?

-Yeah?

After being trapped underground all night...

Got it.

..the goose's escape is complete.

All right, all right, all right.

And though it's a tight squeeze,

it's not long before Anthony's back above ground, too.

Are you all right?

Well done. SHE LAUGHS

-At first appearance, the bird seems in good shape.

-There is a slight...

-That's a superficial cut, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's more if it's ate anything down there, isn't it?

-He looks OK, to be honest.

-Yeah.

He's a little bit lean but, I think, he needs a good meal

-and everything should be OK, so...

-Jeffrey is a very relieved man.

Are you going to place him back then, are you?

With the goose safely out,

he's soon able to reunite the bird with the rest of the gaggle.

-There he goes.

-Who've clearly missed their mate.

-Back with its pals.

-"Where have you been?"

-Is that them saying thank you?

-Yeah.

It's the first time I've ever been to a goose stuck in a septic tank, yeah.

In five years, I've never had anything stuck in a septic tank, never mind a goose.

That was very random but it's what makes the job interesting.

But it actually turns out that Anthony is an old hand at this type of rescue.

This is my second one in the last six months.

I had a swan last time that was in a United Utilities storm tank,

so I think I'm starting to get a bit of a name for myself for these kinds of jobs.

Determined it won't happen again,

Anthony is taking precautions to ensure this goose remains loose.

Still to come, will Anthony's rescuing skills save the day again

as he tries to snare an injured swan?

So fast, aren't they? Not playing ball.

And Clare launches a manhunt after two dogs are left for dead.

Somebody has abandoned these animals and they are really suffering.

Most of us are aware that adders are a Briton's only venomous snake.

What's less well-known is that they're under threat.

Conservationists are now so concerned, they've decided to really tackle it hard

and I've been given privileged access to the first ever genetic study of snakes.

The adder is one of four snake species found in Britain,

but its venomous bite means it isn't everyone's best friend.

Today, I'm in Shropshire with economist Nigel Hand.

It's his job to find adders, catch them and take away a sample

of their DNA to help scientists learn why numbers are in decline.

-Hi, Nigel. I'm Tom.

-Hello, Tom.

-How are you?

-All right, thanks.

What's the plan for today?

I'm going to ask you to be my assistant today to help me swab a few adders in this woodland.

-That'll certainly be a first.

-You'll have to help me just restrain them

while we tube the snake. Obviously, being venomous

-we've got to restrain it to an extent in this tube.

-Right.

Let's go find a snake.

Handling adders in the wild isn't usually recommended.

Their venomous bite can hospitalised and even kill.

But left alone, they're a valuable part of our wildlife

and in need of help.

So why are you doing this survey?

We're concerned about the health of adder populations.

We think there may be genetic problems - in-breeding, basically.

So it really can be the case that they are in such small groups that

they're inbreeding and like any species, that makes them a bit weak.

Yeah.

Adders used to be found across Britain in woods like this,

but now their numbers have dropped

and in some parts of the country, there are none to be found.

Nigel knows that spotting any today won't be a walk in the park.

So the actual technique for spotting and tracking,

I was going to say, how do we actually go about this?

We've got to walk very quietly and try not to make too much

noisy footfall and not cast a shadow over where they're laying,

because they will sense us straightaway and they'll be gone.

We've set out early in the morning when we should find snakes

soaking up the sun, if there are any to be found.

Conditions are perfect. I'll try to tiptoe along.

I have a feeling they're still going to be pretty elusive though.

Adders are prone to hide in long grass

and sunbathe in short vegetation.

But as I continue to struggle to pinpoint one,

Nigel suddenly spots something moving across the way.

-Have you got one?

-Yeah, a baby.

-Wow.

-Straight into your thumb.

It might be only a baby,

but Nigel's thick gloves have saved him from a nasty bite.

-What's the plan with this one?

-We could try and swab this one. It's a very small one.

I haven't swabbed one this small yet.

It's my job to restrain the adder in a specially designed tube.

If Nigel can get a swab, it could be valuable for the research.

Trying to get it to go down the tube. That's a good one. That's it.

Slightly nervous to put my finger on the end in case he shoots off.

OK, there he is. The tube acts as a measuring stick.

21, I'd say, I think.

And means he's harmless

while the uncomfortable procedure of swabbing can be done.

That little swab is going into where?

It's called the cloaca and we're taking a DNA sample from that.

The idea was to swap their mouths,

but it was deemed a bit too dangerous to do that.

A few cells from the snake's back end is all Nigel needs.

All that's left to do his mark the adder with a recognisable dot.

We've got a visual marker so that if we go around this site again today,

we don't end up repeat swabbing this snake.

-That would be a bad day for this little chap.

-It would be, yeah.

Little dot, there. Let it dry a little bit.

I think we probably better let this one get back to his own life,

rather than entertaining us.

Finding a baby is a great start.

It shows that at least some adders

have been breeding and surviving in this habitat.

-There he goes.

-But Nigel knows there should be more.

And when I spot something moving in the grass, Nigel gives chase.

-Nice one.

-Beautiful male. My gosh! You can see how warmed up they are.

-Look at that black-and-white zigzag.

-Fantastic.

-Do you fancy doing this one, Tom?

-Yeah, if I can.

And 43 centimetres, this is a fully-grown male

and one which needs careful handling.

Keep going. All the way.

Nigel restrains it in a larger tube

while I go about delicately retrieving the cells.

How important could this be to the survival of characters like this?

It'll tell us a lot about the populations that we're looking at.

There's nothing been done with adders like this before in this country.

With my hand well clear,

this adder is released back into the undergrowth.

It looks pretty happy after his swab and so am I.

-It was fantastic to do that.

-Fantastic find. Well done.

You've got your eye in, so let's hope we see some more.

Spotting adders isn't easy. They're patterned backs act as camouflage.

But Nigel has been doing this for years and now we are on a roll.

-Get it? You've got one!

-Female. Fantastic.

Although, a white spot indicates it's already been added to the database.

-One we've done before, unfortunately!

-Oh, no.

The fact that you've swabbed this lady before,

what does that tell you?

It's a little worrying in a way that we're not seeing that many snakes.

This is considerably quite a large population.

The fact that you've caught the same one suggests there are relatively few here.

That can be the issue with the genetics, you know.

Small woodlands like this are great for adders,

but they do result in isolated populations.

The challenge for ecologists is to get different groups to meet and that means

connecting their habitats together across the countryside.

I guess the idea is to bring remote populations together, they breed and you get some hybrid vigour.

Exactly. We want some new blood into the population.

By building these and creating these corridors, animals will move between the two.

The DNA from today will help scientists learn exactly

how strong this group of adders is.

The study will continue across the country

and hopefully go some way to saving one of our native species.

How does this leave you feeling about the project overall?

I'm really pleased that this project has got the go-ahead

and it's going on because it's about time, really, for adders.

In my lifetime, I can see them disappearing

and I'd like to think the results of this will mean they're still there

for my kid's generation and the generation after to see.

-That'd be brilliant, wouldn't it?

-It would be.

Now we are heading back to London where RSPCA inspector Clare

is on a mission to rescue two abandoned cats from a high-rise

block of flats, but not only is Clare having to battle to reach

the stranded cats, she's also battling her own fear of heights.

Six stories high,

this little cat has been stuck on a balcony for days.

She's been abandoned without any food or water.

There's another cat inside the flat and vertigo-suffering Clare...

I need to get off this balcony.

..can now join her, thanks to the locksmith.

Yey! Thank you so much.

Still concerned she might spook the cat into jumping off the balcony,

Clare heads straight inside to check on her flatmate.

Come on. No, no, no.

They've just left it a pile of crisps!

And she is shocked by what she sees.

I've found the other cat, which seems to be absolutely fine.

I don't quite know how because it's been left a pile of cornflakes

and Rice Krispies which it quite clearly hasn't eaten,

some crisps, which it clearly doesn't fancy, and an empty, dry bowl of water.

It clearly hasn't eaten really or drink anything

because again, even in this room, nowhere in the flat,

there's no faeces, no urine.

Unbelievable. And it's boiling in here.

This neglect amounts to cruelty.

Shocking, actually. I'm quite shocked that they obviously intended to leave the cat.

Whether they intended to come back or not is a different matter,

but they quite clearly intended to leave it. Shocking.

-And the cats aren't the only animals that have been left here.

-Hey!

Look at that little fish.

One makeshift travel tank required.

Yey! There you go.

-But the cats are Clare's real concern.

-Come on.

She's anxious to take them to the vet's,

although the one on the balcony still hasn't come inside.

The little boy from the next-door flat, Evan,

has been feeding her over the past few days.

I've recruited the little boy next door who's got quite a good

little rapport going with the cat. I saw him playing with you then.

I'm just trying to encourage it out from under this partition. Good boy.

Go on.

-And Clare's new assistant...

-Careful, mind his head.

-..is a natural.

-Come here. Yey!

-Got you.

-Good boy. Well done! Good lad.

We should get you a job with the RSPCA.

Clare's happy both she and the cat are safely indoors.

Yeah, I am really relieved because I was really worried that

he was going to go off the balcony but well done, you. Well done.

Right, keep that shut because I don't want it going out there again.

After leaving a notice in case the owner comes back...

Pop it in. Go on. Just put it straight on the other one.

It won't matter, they'll sort themselves out.

..she takes both cats and the fish to her van...

..still assisted by the boy wonder.

What does it say? "Dude-o-metre."

You are the dude today, mate. Thank you very much, Evan.

I'm sure I'll see you in the future saving animals. Right.

After a few days stuck on a balcony,

the last thing you need is a trip to the Animal Hospital.

But after fending for themselves for days, both cats need a health check.

You're purring!

It's no surprise to Clare to find they're not microchipped.

-Nothing's bleeping.

-No, it's not likely to be, is it?

Despite their ordeal, both seem to be OK.

Hello. They're nice. Thank you, you're welcome.

These two cats might be in good health...

They'll go in together? That'll be lovely.

..but their neglect means Clare is eager to speak to the owner.

It's a good indication of that person's state of mind

that they're prepared to leave a goldfish, a cat,

a dog, a hamster - it doesn't matter to me what it is,

you've left something that is living and breathing

to fend for itself that needs looking after and feeding.

-The cats will go on to the RSPCA's re-homing list.

-Go on, in you go.

There's a nice blanket there.

For now, they'll have plenty of care,

attention and a ground-floor view.

I'm pleased that we've got them out of the environment,

particularly the tortoiseshell off the balcony.

She is looking much more relaxed being in here

and, obviously, being with her sister or her flatmate, if you like.

I think they missed each other. They've reunited quite nicely,

so, yeah, the future is quite positive.

They're nice cats. There's no reason why they wouldn't get re-homed,

either separately or together, in the future, if the owner doesn't

come forward and explain to me why she decided to leave them.

Both cats were soon re-homed together.

The owner was never traced.

But dealing with abandoned animals is sadly something which Clare

encounters on an almost daily basis.

To Staffie dogs have been found tied to some railings on a busy street.

It's all right, we are here, darling.

One of them has a broken leg, the other is worryingly thin.

Clare and her colleague, Imara...

Come here, sweetheart.

..have been called after a passer-by took them to a local vet.

The vet that we've picked them up from is not prepared to treat them, which isn't unusual.

They're stray dogs, both injuries and diseases could possibly cost a lot of money.

They know they probably won't get any recoup back from that

and, potentially, an offence here was committed.

Somebody has abandoned these animals. They are already suffering.

This isn't a typical abandonment.

The two dogs called Jasper and Simba have recently been microchipped.

The fact they've only had them microchipped a month ago

and then, obviously, these animals have become sick

and injured in the meantime, that is quite unusual.

Maybe she genuinely lost them.

But why would you have lost them up here? There's no way you'd lose two dogs

miles and miles away from where you got them microchipped.

What happened to these poor dogs is a mystery to Clare and Imara.

See you inside.

But the microchip has provided the owner's address.

-So they go looking for answers.

-Hello!

-Still to come...

-Come on, then. Slowly.

..the daily pressure of dealing with animal cruelty

pushes Clare to breaking point.

Even after ten years, it just doesn't get any easier.

The cruelty, I think, is just getting steadily worse.

I love my job but it's just so hard.

Earlier, we saw how RSPCA Inspector Anthony

clambered into a cramped septic tank on a farm to rescue a stranded goose.

It was the second time in six months that Anthony had been called out

to help birds stranded in tanks.

Now he's responding to a fresh call about two more birds in need of help.

Lymm in Cheshire, and Inspector Anthony Joynes

is heading to rescue two swans on a lake in a country park.

The male has fishing line wrapped around his legs.

It's not the first time Anthony has tried to help the swan,

but on arrival, the situation seems to be worse.

I actually came out to it yesterday and I spent quite a while

but I was just unable to catch it.

It's a pretty elusive swan, so I'm back here today.

It seems to be more urgent today because it looks like the line

may be embedding into the legs,

so it's something that we've got to catch today.

The line is really, really strong.

We wouldn't be able to snap it with our hands,

and it could just go through the soft tissue of the swan, really.

Cause really terrible injuries.

Armed with his hook, Anthony spots the swans

but knows he needs to be clever if he's going to catch

the injured male.

He's on the bank around the corner there.

This is the point we got to yesterday.

I think he's a very clever swan. He recognised my uniform.

He was straight in the water.

So I'm going to sneak round and then basically just try and grab him.

Anthony tries to sneak up behind him...

..but despite his injuries, the male escapes straight into the water.

Straightaway he's recognised me there.

I think what I might have to do is try and outwit the swan

and maybe put on a different-coloured jacket or something.

I think he sees the black and white and sees it's danger

because I was trying to catch him yesterday.

It was 1-0 to the swan yesterday so we're going to try to even it up.

Knowing he needs to act fast, Anthony heads back to the van

to change his jacket, hoping it will be enough to fool the swan.

He's not sure it's going to work, so calls for backup.

The gentleman that's called us up to tell us about the swan,

he's on his way over now with some bread to give us a helping hand,

so hopefully we can entice the swans a little bit closer

so we can grab hold of the injured one.

The caller's name is Paul Roden, who's the groundsman for the area.

-Hiya.

-How you doing? Anthony.

I've brought you some bread,

so it may or may not attract them. We'll have to see how you get on.

We'll give it another shot anyway. Come on, then.

Anthony uses the bread to coax the male

but it doesn't appear to be working.

They need to up their game if they're going to outwit

the clever swans, so Paul comes up with a new plan.

If I feed them and you go along there with the pole...

It's not a bad idea, that, actually, yeah.

If I swap with you, now, then, and I'll go and sit in some cover.

How close is he?

Pretty close.

The new tactics seem to be working so Anthony seizes the opportunity.

But frustratingly, the swan gets away.

So fast, aren't they? Not playing ball.

A closer look shows it's actually the female

who's now wrapped in fishing line.

I can't see it on him any more. It was definitely him yesterday,

because he's got a scar across the top of his beak.

She's definitely got something on her.

I thought it might have been a reed. Look, is that a weight?

Yes, yes.

It's on her as well.

They need to get her out as quickly as possible

before she comes to serious harm.

Now they have two injured swans to deal with.

SWAN SQUAWKS I know. I know.

Anthony's perseverance has paid off.

He's caught the female.

They need to get the line off straightaway

so she doesn't become more entangled.

Got those scissors? Cheers.

-It looks like she may have...

-Pulled it off him.

-Pulled it off him,

and then it's wrapped around her,

and now it's wrapped around me as well!

I just want to check that she hasn't...

I know, I know.

Anthony may have won his battle of wits with the swan...

Jacket fooled you, swan.

..but now he has her close up,

he and Paul make a more worrying discovery.

That's a braid. We'll possibly find a hook at the other end of there.

Can you see a hook?

Which really annoys me, to be honest -

-that fishermen can leave hooks and line.

-Oh, it's appalling.

The hook they were worried about has become embedded in the swan's neck.

It seems to be superficial, just on the outside,

so I'm hoping to be able to remove this now and just let her go.

It needs to be pushed this way.

It has gone through there but it is really superficial.

I'm hoping that if we can...

That's out. It's a big book, that.

-Is that for carp?

-Carp fishing, yes. They've been carp fishing.

That's shocking.

SWAN SQUAWKS OK, girl.

-I think she's good to go.

-Wonderful.

Right.

Despite being distressed by the situation,

it looks as though the female has escaped with no major injuries.

Good luck, girl. Go on.

She can be released straight back onto the water to rejoin her mate.

OK, go on.

Go on, then.

Even though Anthony is still concerned about the male,

he doesn't want to cause the swans any more stress today.

With the male, which had the line attached originally,

we're just going to ask the guy who rang us up originally

to keep an eye out and just check on him tomorrow,

see if he's got any injuries and see if...

He seemed a bit lame earlier on.

See whether that's improved and if not, to give us a call back

and we'll come back out then.

For Anthony, it's a prime example of how people's careless actions

can have lethal consequences for wildlife.

Fishermen need to be completely responsible with their equipment.

That's what was left, with about three foot of line in that as well,

on the end of this, so it was really, really dangerous.

Wildlife like this are always going to come into contact

with what they leave behind, and become injured.

We managed to take the swan out the water, take the hook out,

straight back in the water, back with her mate.

Couldn't have gone any better, so I'm made up, really. Job done.

Finally, we're heading back to London,

where earlier we saw RSPCA inspectors Clare Ponsford

and Imara Alagaratnam pick up two abandoned Staffie dogs.

The dogs were in a terrible condition and now Clare and Imara

are on a mission to find out exactly what had happened to them.

Jasper and Simba were found tied to some railings on a busy street.

It's all right. We're here, darling. She's here. She's here. She's here.

Jasper has a badly broken leg. Simba is emaciated.

Don't you worry, darling. There's a good girl. Come here.

Clare and Imara want some answers.

The dogs' microchips have led them to this flat

on the outskirts of London.

Hello!

But there's no sign of anyone living here.

Kind of looks like there probably was people in here at some point.

It's a little bit worrying.

Is there anybody living here?

The neighbours confirm the flat's been empty for weeks.

There's quite clearly nobody here.

The plants are dead and the property's empty.

We've been informed by a member of the public

that the young lady that lived here moved out about a month ago.

We know it's a young lady that owns the dogs, and we know the dogs were microchipped a month ago,

so that would fit.

The investigation will have to wait. The dogs need treatment.

But Clare is fearing the worst.

They are Staffordshire bull terriers, bull terrier breed-type dogs.

There are thousands of these dogs in London. Nobody wants them.

That's why they end up in circumstances like this.

The RSPCA and all the other animal agencies' re-homing centres

are full of these dogs

and because they have an undeserved poor reputation,

they don't get re-homed.

So I'm afraid their long-term prognosis is not good.

The RSPCA sees cases like this all the time.

I might take her home, you know. It's just so sad.

But even for an experienced inspector like Clare,

sometimes it's hard to take.

Even after ten years, it just doesn't get any easier.

The cruelty, I think, is just getting steadily worse.

I think people are becoming poorer.

Animals that would have otherwise been really well looked after

are now suffering.

I can't help these two dogs.

I can't help all the dogs I've taken out of the addresses

in the last few days.

It's too late for that.

I love my job but it's just so hard.

Slowly, slowly.

Clare and Imara have brought Jasper and Simba to a vet

who specialises in forensic investigation of animals.

Come on in. Slowly.

Their condition needs to be recorded officially,

in case a prosecution is brought against their owner.

There's a good girl. Come on.

And on that front, there's new information.

I've just found out from the vet where the dogs were taken into

that both dogs are micro-chipped to the same person

and there's a contact number.

Hello, this is the RSPCA.

I'm calling about your dogs.

The registered owner explains that the dogs really belong

to her ex-partner.

OK. And where are you living now?

She left them with him

when she moved in with her new boyfriend a few weeks ago.

I certainly don't want you to ring him or make any contact with him.

I don't want you to ask him about them or where they are, anything. OK?

And she's shocked to hear about their current condition.

Just keep calm. Just keep calm.

Clare now has something to go on, if not the full story.

It may be that her new partner didn't want the dogs,

so she gave them to her ex-partner,

but agreed that she would go round and see them.

That's quite normal. Why they've ended up sick and injured,

tied to railings, I have no idea.

This lady's very distressed.

She's arranged to meet the lady she phoned and is keen

to speak to her ex-partner.

I now need to know how both those dogs

have come to be in those conditions, tied to railings today.

And I think one of these people that I'm going to get in touch with

in the next couple of days will have some answers to that.

Which may or may not lead to a prosecution.

Clare and Imara will continue pursuing a criminal investigation

against those responsible.

Five days later and there's finally some good news for one of the dogs.

Oh, is that nice? There's a good girl.

And while Jasper's broken leg is recovering,

for the still very thin Simba, there's some positive news.

The dog has been at a vet's for a few days, just checking

that there's nothing wrong with her, really,

apart from the fact that she hasn't eaten for a little while.

And now she has... Someone has come forward offering to foster her

for a little while, which is brilliant news.

And it's well-known that once a dog goes into a foster home

they very rarely come out again.

They worm their way in to the hardest of hearts.

So I think her prognosis is 1,000 times better than it was

when we picked them up on Friday.

Sit down. Sit down.

We're going to your new home. I know.

There's a good girl.

Simba will now receive the kind of care and attention she deserves.

And before long, Jasper, the male Staffie, has a foster home as well.

-Sit.

-With Storm Lonsdale.

Jasper's had a major operation to save his broken leg

and, thankfully, it's proved a big success.

He only got his stitches out the other day

but he seems to be fine and he's never been tender around that area,

but I think maybe actually that's because he's quite brave

and also quite soft and he would never be snappy or anything.

Storm is a student

and she's looking after Jasper during the summer.

If she hadn't taken him in when she did,

Jasper would have been put to sleep.

He's got such a good personality.

Everybody who comes around and meets him adores him.

He's settled really well. We haven't had any problems with him.

Apart from he likes to go bin-diving if we leave him in the kitchen

by himself.

It's thought Jasper's badly broken leg was caused by a person.

No animal deserves to be treated like that.

I just can't see how an animal like this would ever have, like,

any anger directed towards him.

And as Clare continues to work on the animal cruelty case,

she's relieved that both Jasper and Simba

are enjoying much happier lives.

I am pleased to hear that the dogs have settled into foster care,

because obviously they were found in a really bad situation.

So it's nice to know that they're getting some TLC

and the attention that any dog deserves now, really.

I don't doubt at all that we will be able to find a lot of people

who will really want to take him and give him a forever home

when the time comes, because he's such a nice little guy.

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 are the people we meet on Animal 24:7.

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