A Pony Saved Me from Myself and Drugs Raid Animal Saints and Sinners

Nearly half of Britain owns a pet.

It's the Council and the police, can you open the door, please?

But man and beast don't always live together in harmony.

I've reason to believe it is your dog

and you've had it for a few years and not two weeks.

When things go wrong, animal wardens are there to protect our pets...

..and keep their owners in check.

I'm not having my dog taken off me, mate.

I love you, too.

But for some of us, our animals are more than just pets.

I wouldn't know what to do without him.

They can change and even save lives.

I owe my life to these horses.

This is Animal Saints And Sinners.

Coming up...

Dogs in a block of flats are causing problems for the neighbours.

-We've had a complaint about your dogs.

-Who from?

Police need dog wardens' help at a raid on a house.

Some of these dogs could be quite aggressive.

And a rescue dog

and a pony are helping two people get their lives back on track.

I was just getting lower and lower,

and just really not wanting to be in this world.

Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, is surrounded by old mill towns

and country villages.

It also has a large population,

which means its dog wardens are kept very busy.

Come on.

Tina Shaw has been a dog warden for 17 years.

And she and the rest of the team are about to give police

support on a drugs raid at a house.

A lot of the time we never know what we're going to meet.

Some of these dogs could be quite aggressive.

So we have to be really careful about how we approach it.

Tina has been on 15 raids in her career.

And today, there are thought to be several large dogs, which the

wardens will remove while the police search the house.

As her colleagues go ahead, Tina gets an update from the police.

What they're going to try and do first of all is see

if the occupants of the property will let them in

and secure the dogs themselves, without any involvement from us.

If they refuse to do that, then we will have to obviously use

force to enter the property and we'll be called in to secure the dogs.

The police believe there may be a suspected drug dealer

visiting the house.

But Tina's priority is the welfare of the dogs.

Tina's colleagues and the police officers are being cautious.

But thankfully, the dogs don't seem hostile

and the owner of the house is being cooperative.

Four dogs - an Akita, a Staffie and two German shepherds -

belonging to a family member will be kept in the dog wardens' vans.

German shepherds often have trouble with their legs in old age.

She's 12, you'll have to help her in.

And the owner is concerned about her eldest one.

-They're not going anywhere.

-We're not taking them anywhere.

We're just putting them here to be safe.

It's all right, Maya.

Once they've continued the search and they're happy that the dogs

can go back in, then we'll release the dogs back to the owners.

With the dogs safely out of the way in the dog wardens' vans,

the police have been able to make two arrests.

And now, they have the all clear to go in

and search for any drugs which may have been hidden in the house.

It is a large house that they're searching, it could be a late night.

The dogs are in the van.

We need to keep those safe,

so we'll be here to supervise those until they finish the operation.

Obviously, when you go into this sort of situations,

you never know what's going to happen,

so we have to be fairly flexible and quite prepared to stick it out.

Are we all right?

Onto the last room now, so it shouldn't be too much longer.

The police have finished their search

and found Class B drugs in the house.

The dogs are now free to go back in.

-Don't forget the other two.

-Yeah.

-He's got the runs.

-Lovely.

Thankfully, the dogs seem unaffected by their experience

and the owners are allowed to collect them from the van.

It's OK.

-Take him and then...

-They'll take the other one.

-Come on, sweetie.

There is quite a lot of material been reported from the property

we've just been to,

so I think it has been a very successful raid.

Over 200 miles away, in Hampshire, a shy pony and the use

of equine therapy are helping Andy Farmer get his life back.

"Equine therapy, what is that, then?" I didn't have a clue.

And I thought, "No, you've done everything else,

"just give it a go, whatever it is."

This care home for the elderly is where 46-year-old Andy has

worked for the last year as a domestic assistant.

-How are you, Liz, you all right?

-Yes, thank you.

I'm just coming to clean your room if that's all right.

All right, Liz, I think that's clean,

-so you can have that for your dinner now.

-Yeah.

See you later. Bye. Bye.

But Andy's life now is a million miles away from the life

he had just four years ago, when he tried to take his own life.

Back in his teens, Andy had a lot of friends. He was confident

and always the life and soul of the party.

We'd go out, like, weekends and that would be it.

You'd have a few drinks, just have a laugh.

When we had a few drinks inside us,

then it just seemed to be so much better and everything was funny.

It was... It was just brilliant in them days.

But as the years went by, things began to change.

My three friends, my real good friends,

they were getting relationships,

having kids, and all they were doing.

And then I was noticing that I wasn't seeing them very much

and all that.

I did feel quite lonely.

I thought, hang on, why are they happy and settling down and all

I'm doing is just drinking more, getting more depressed and just...

I couldn't work that out. I just couldn't see...

I just couldn't see it at all.

It wasn't only that Andy's friends were starting to settle down,

they also didn't like the way he was starting to behave.

If I met them, then usually I'd be pretty intoxicated

already by that stage. And then, you know.

But I didn't see that at the time.

Andy's mood began to change, too.

They'd look at me like, "That's not Andy.

"That's not the old Andy, the one that'd always laugh and joke."

So they sort of done their own thing.

See, by that stage, I was just going to the pub

and I'd just talk to anyone, basically.

Andy spent more and more time on his own, and the drinking got worse.

I just felt, nothing makes me happy, apart from when I am drunk,

but then...

I don't know, then, but...

It was just a slow spiral.

I was just getting lower and lower and lower,

and just really not wanting to be in this world.

But then, four years ago, feeling hopeless,

Andy turned to his doctor and he was diagnosed with depression.

It had taken a hold of him and his drinking habits had become

so extreme that he could no longer hold down his job as an HGV driver.

I had saved a load of money up and I just had it in my head,

"I got enough money now and I'm that depressed

"and I hate life, I'm just going to... With this money,

"I'm bound to be able to drink myself to death, basically."

Andy was in self-destruct mode.

As it carried on, and when the money started to run out,

then I was just basically sat in my room.

I wouldn't go out anywhere, I didn't want to be with anyone.

I'd just drink, fall asleep, drink, fall asleep.

And just... Just in existence, really.

Broke and hanging out around the house all day, his father kicked

him out and Andy became homeless,

ending up sleeping on friends' sofas.

By this time, I didn't care. I didn't care about anything.

I didn't care what anyone said, I didn't care about anything.

I just wanted to drink myself to death, basically.

But the antidepressants he had been prescribed seemed to offer

an easier way out.

I just remember the couple of occasions in my bedroom.

And just sitting there, playing my music

and just drinking and taking these tablets one by one, going,

"Yes, you're getting closer, you're getting closer."

Andy was rushed to hospital.

They were not good times. It was not... No.

Andy ended up in hospital a few times.

And after a year, he finally realised that

if he didn't break this cycle, there would be no going back.

So he asked to go for counselling.

I'd go there, I wouldn't really listen...

I did listen to what they were saying,

but I wouldn't take none of it on board.

I thought, "Yeah, what are you telling me?

"You're not telling me anything I don't know already."

Andy's counsellors were determined to make him listen.

And finally, he agreed to go into detox.

But he still had a long way to go to

address his need to drink and his depression.

Then, one of his counsellors told him about equine therapy.

And I went, "Equine therapy?

"What is that, then?" I didn't have a clue.

And I thought, "No, you've done everything else,

"just give it a go, whatever it is."

Andy joined a pilot scheme for equine-assisted learning.

It uses the bond between horses and ponies with people as therapy.

So I did go to equine.

The first time I went up there just to see what it was all about.

It was definitely... Horses. And I think to myself,

"How are horses going to sort of keep me on the right road?"

What we do here is put people in the field with horses

and watch them interact together.

It helps them gain some self-awareness and

it helps them build their confidence.

Because when they see their behaviour, their feelings

their emotions reflected back to them by the horses' reaction

to them, it gives them a real sense of awareness of who they are.

Andy started a course of sessions every week.

We'd get set different sort of challenges with the horses.

We'd work with them and sort of gain their trust.

I'd end up writing what I'd done and how I felt.

It was all sort of coming together inside my head, I was going,

"This all makes sense, I'm getting this."

And he made a friend right from the start - Tommy,

a 24-year-old moor's pony.

I was drawn straight away to Tommy.

I know now, cos I could see a lot of Tommy inside of me -

the shyness, the wanting to get to know people

but not being able to do it.

Like Andy, Tommy had also had a difficult past.

Tommy is a very special pony.

He has come to us from a very troubled background.

He was found by the RSPCA as a cruelty and neglect case

many years ago.

But Tommy has never lost that very shy, untrusting approach to life.

So he's very wary of new people.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Go on.

Come on. Come on.

Tommy. Over here.

Come on.

Come on.

If the pony won't come anywhere near Andy, then he has to change

how he is, because he needs to be in a position of calmness.

Good boy.

Yeah. Tommy, stop being frightened all the time. Come on.

Let's walk. Come on. Good boy. Come on, Tom. Tommy, come on, come on.

Come on. Come on.

Come on, going to walk.

That was a lovely moment, when Andy managed to calm himself down and the

pony actually turned towards him and allowed him to walk right up to him.

Then, having spent a little time with him,

he has now got him to actually walk around with him.

You're a good boy.

Yes, you are.

You do really well.

Yes, you are.

And that lovely bond between the two of them has become evident,

which is really nice.

Come on, then. Come on, come on.

Come on, Tommy, come on.

To form this kind of bond with a pony is very, very special.

I'm just so proud of Andy

because what he has achieved is just remarkable. He has done so well.

You know, after so long of struggling with his addiction,

to get out there, get a job that he loves and be happy...

And I think Andy would tell you that he really is in a good place now.

Tommy is amazing, totally amazing.

And in loads of ways, it stops me

even thinking about that drop or that can or that pint.

I'm back to, you know, how I was when I was younger,

with confidence and interacting with people.

Oh, did you?

Andy has been here just coming up to a year.

It's like he has always been here.

He's really friendly,

and helpful, residents like him, and he has fitted in really well.

You enjoy your dinner. I'll see you later. Bye.

He's a valued member of the team. We wouldn't be without him now.

Hi, Jeff. How you doing, mate? Are you all right? OK.

It has been a long and difficult journey for Andy.

But now he can face the world again.

And on his days off, he often pays Tommy a visit.

Before Tommy, I was in some dark places

and Tommy was a lifesaver for me.

There is a bond I've got with him.

That fellow over there.

Newham, in East London, is one of the city's biggest boroughs.

And its five animal welfare officers receive up to 200 calls a month.

Heading up the animal welfare team is Tina Delaney.

My name is Tina Delaney, D-E-L-A-N-E-Y.

We have picked up a dog.

They work actively in the community, dealing with any animal which may

suffer cruelty, is being neglected or has been picked up as a stray.

Tina and senior animal welfare officer Sue Heathcote

regularly work together.

In Newham, you can say any road to Sue

and she knows exactly where it is.

Yeah, Sue's the Sat Nav and I drive faster.

So between us, we save time.

It's after the railway line. I can see the railway line.

That's helpful.

-Right, you know you're going left.

-Yeah. It is the centre.

It is a challenging job and Tina and her team are committed to the

well-being of all animals brought to their attention.

I try to get a balance between enforcement and education.

Sometimes, you know, people might be not keeping an animal as

effectively or as well as they should be, and it's not about being cruel,

it's about they don't actually realise or they don't know

and they're scared to ask for help.

Of all the calls they receive from the public,

many are from angry neighbours.

And today, Tina and Sue are on their way to a Council block,

where two dogs, living in a flat, are said to be causing a nuisance.

The Council have strict rules about keeping pets

and all tenants should get written permission.

So, we're going to the premises to look at whether there are two

dogs on the property, because they don't have permission.

It is alleged that one of the dogs isn't OK with people

and that he is being kept in a box.

And that the dogs are fouling in the common area.

So we're just going to go and have a look at that.

BUZZER

From the Council. Can you let us in, please?

BEEPS

There are approximately 500 local authority homes in Newham

with permission to keep pets,

but there could be just as many with animals that aren't registered.

Hello.

From the London Borough of Newham Animal Welfare Service.

We've had a complaint about your dogs on the property.

You have two dogs on the premises?

I'm her mum, she's in the bath at the moment.

Shut the door.

Can you tell me what's this all about?

-Where are the two dogs at the moment?

-They're in the bedroom.

-OK.

-We've had a complaint about your dogs.

-Who from?

A lot of people don't like it that somebody has complained.

One of the first questions we are always asked is who has complained,

"I'm going to get them, I'm going to do this, that."

And I think that what is important is learning how to deal with people

and interact with people and calm people down.

-How many dogs have you got on the property?

-Two.

-Right, OK.

And you have not got permission to keep those dogs, have you?

I don't know, you've got to ask my daughter, she's in the bathroom now.

OK, we'll just wait for her, then.

Most problems occur because a dog has a poor diet or

because it is not exercised enough. And people don't realise that.

So what starts happening is they start shutting the dog

into another room or they start shutting the dog into the garden

because they can't cope with the dog.

And all that does is make the dog more desperate for company

and more hyperactive.

-Can I see the dogs, please?

-You can't see the dogs, they're going to bite.

-They don't know you.

-I just want to look through the door.

They'll bite you!

The flat is a confined space

and the owners themselves say the dogs are aggressive,

so Tina keeps her distance and asks the owners to control them.

OK. What door are they in?

They want to come through. If they get bit, tell them I said so.

I'm not saying that.

In a community, the problem gets worse

and worse with antisocial dogs, and people don't often know where to go.

They're frightened that if they do ask for help, somebody is going

to come and take away their dog or, you know, they're criticizing him.

-Is that the one that bites?

-She doesn't bite.

I'm only talking to you nicely, OK?

Right, OK.

-All these flats have got dogs.

-She never bites, only if...

OK, so you've not got permission to keep them, have you?

The dogs are Staffordshire Bull Terrier crosses, a breed that

can become highly strung if they are not exercised properly.

Whatever your breed of dog is, you should know about that breed,

so you know about traits he has, problems he should have,

areas you need to focus on more.

Hardly anybody knows about that, the houses we go round,

they just haven't got a clue at all.

And it is not just the lack of knowledge

about the breed that is the problem in this case.

They've got two bitches from the same litter

that have started fighting.

Often, when two bitches from the same litter start fighting,

long-term they will not be able to live together. OK?

They will either come home and one of them will be

dead or will be seriously, seriously injured.

We have advised them regarding diets, how to train them properly

and stop some of the chaos that is happening in the house,

cos everybody is screaming and shouting

and the dogs are barking and jumping around.

We've also provided them with neutering vouchers,

cos they've got two unneutered bitches.

They're going to be vaccinated and microchipped as well.

The microchip becomes a legal requirement in 2016 anyways,

so we advised them of that.

And we've just advised them of how to kind of behave with

the dogs when people knock on the door.

It's not only changing the dogs' behaviour, it's changing their

behaviour and how they interact with the dogs to make a difference,

to make a difference to everybody in that house

and to everybody in that community.

In Greater Manchester, Salford's two dog control officers,

Erica Eaton and Will Harris, are checking their day's workload.

As a team, they are very active in the city,

keeping an eye on the welfare of the large dog population.

We will come down there as soon as possible.

Today, they're doing checks and patrolling for strays.

-What is your dog, sir?

-Crossbred Staff.

Can we have a look at it, please?

Is that your dog?

Suddenly, Erica spots an Irish wolfhound she picked up a few

days ago, wandering alone on the same busy road.

She had returned the dog to its owner, warning him to keep

it on the lead.

But he doesn't seem to have taken her advice.

Is this the dog I picked up on Friday?

-Yeah.

-Do you want to put him on the lead for me, please?

He needs to be on the lead on the public highway,

you can't have him off the lead.

I've already spoke to you about this.

Have you got any poo bags on you?

-I have, yeah.

-Have you got them?

-I always carry them.

-Right.

Oi, come on!

Oi!

Come here.

It is quite rare for us to find

an elderly person letting the dogs just roam on the roads,

with or without them, whether they are on the leads or not.

The older generation tend to be more cautious and more protective

over their little pets than the younger ones do.

Make sure you keep him on the lead.

Make sure he's not out on his own again. All right?

But if I take him down woods now...

If you take him down there and let him off the lead.

But if you're walking down the road like you are now, it is

-a public highway.

-I was going to say,

I've had him since he were about five, six months old.

-Yeah.

-I got him from Galway.

I picked him up on Friday morning, he was roaming on this field here.

And then he was just running across this road,

then running back to the field and running across the road again.

And there was a lad passing by.

I asked him if he knew him, he didn't know him.

There were a couple people, but nobody knew who he was.

If you would've asked around here, because they'll tell you...

-When I spoke to you on the phone...

-I've had him 15 years.

When I spoke to you on Friday night, you said to me

that you let him out all the time on his own, and he just runs back.

-He just wanders back on his own.

-You can't do that.

Because sometimes he comes back with rabbit.

-I know, but you can't do that.

-I don't know how he catches a rabbit.

When I saw him, he was fouling on this grass.

And obviously, you're not there,

so there is nobody to clean up after him.

-All right?

-Yeah, I understand that. I understand that.

Keep him under control. That's the main thing,

-keep the dog under control.

-I'm 65 years old now.

We respect your age, sir, but you've still got to be

-responsible for your dog, whether you're six or 65.

-All right.

OK, sir? Thank you very much.

It's so upsetting sometimes because that dog has been his friend

for life and you don't want to take his friend away.

And vice versa for the dog.

So sometimes your emotions do get the best of you and you think,

"I need to give this dog back," when really you shouldn't.

In Hampshire, Susan Fitzmorris lives with her dog Millie.

When I first saw her, I did think she looked a really lovely dog.

I was sort of convinced that she was the right one for me.

She has definitely made a difference to my life.

Over 40 years ago, Susan met the man who was to become her husband.

Well, we were on a holiday in Cornwall, down at Cawsand,

and we went to a spot called Rame Head.

And so he proposed to me there.

And we...we actually called our first bungalow Rame.

I did know that he was the one, so I said yes immediately.

Yes. Never regretted it.

Peter's lifelong passion was aviation,

and in particular, flying small aircraft.

The last time I spoke to him

was the morning of...of his plane accident.

He was going for a flight

with a friend in this new plane

and...

they, um...

They actually took off

and then 90 seconds into the flight,

um...

Well, who knows what happened, but it just crashed to the ground

and burst into flames.

And both of them, you know, died immediately.

It is a comfort to me to think that

he died doing something

that he really enjoyed and that was important to him.

And I also know that he wouldn't have been frightened because he felt

so at home in the air.

Yes, I miss him every minute of the day.

Um... If you've loved somebody, they are part of you.

And if they are not there, that part is always missing.

Susan was struggling to cope with day-to-day life

and was becoming more and more isolated.

After almost a year of living alone,

Susan decided she needed a companion.

I thought a dog would be very good for me.

It would encourage me to go out and about

and it would be company

and just get me up in the morning.

So I started the search,

looking on the Internet.

All the web pages,

all the rescue sites,

just looking for the perfect dog.

And it was on the website of an animal rescue centre

near Birmingham where Susan found an elderly dog looking for a new home.

So, I rang them up and said,

"I'm quite interested in this dog called Millie that you've got."

Unfortunately for Susan, meeting Millie wouldn't prove to be easy.

I picked her because she caught my eye.

I went after her one time,

she was already booked for somebody.

But then that didn't work out. Second time.

She didn't go to the home that she was meant to be going to.

And so third time, I was able to go and see her.

Finally, Susan had the opportunity to travel the 150 miles

to Bromsgrove to meet Millie for the first time,

a day etched in her memory for more than one reason.

My friend said,

"Well, I'm free Monday

"and I can take you Monday to collect her."

And that was quite a special day

because it was in fact a year to the day of my husband's plane accident.

Come on, up here, come on. Good girl.

And as much as Millie the dog was in need of a good home,

she was much needed by Susan.

You Mummy's girl? Are you?

Pure coincidence.

That's why, you know, I felt that Millie is sort of really special.

So, where something really tragic and terrible had happened

the year before,

a year later, to that same day,

something...better happened.

Um, yeah.

That was a very special day.

Just look at that.

-And that's your nice leaning one.

-I like that one.

It was just amazing, you know, Sue's face

when she first saw Millie was just lovely.

She was very emotional

and it just looked like it was love at first sight for the two of them.

And Sue was able to bring her home and it was like...

It was bringing Millie home to her new home. And she was wonderful.

Good girl, Millie. Yes?

You're a good girl.

After that first special meeting, Millie soon settled in at home.

For Susan, her canine companion helped her come to terms with

her bereavement.

There we are. Good girl. Good girl.

I do enjoy walking. My husband and I had always enjoyed walking.

We walked the South Downs way.

I felt that being on my own,

I didn't want to go for walks on my own.

I needed a...a companion.

No, she comes everywhere. We go to the shops.

She actually comes on the bus with me.

We've been to London, we've been to Bournemouth.

We've been on the train to the seaside.

She comes to meetings.

She comes to friends'. Yeah.

So, no, she is my little shadow.

Yeah, Millie's been very special.

Um...

She has been a blessing to me.

Is it nice and quiet in here, Millie?

Go and have a nice little think, can't we? Quietly together.

I hope that I have been a blessing to her as well because, um,

she has had a happy life with me

and I just feel that God sent her to me.

You see the two of them together, they are just a team.

You know, I don't know who takes who for a walk, actually.

So I think sometimes it can be Millie that's going,

"I want to go out," and Sue will come along.

So they just look a great team together.

There were go. Home we go.

Come on. She is quite a nice, big dog, and cuddly.

She has been a great comfort to me.

You Mummy's girl? Are you?

Back up in Kirklees,

dog warden Tina Shaw has another busy day ahead.

I've just come to speak to you about your dog.

With nearly two decades on the job, Tina has seen a large rise

in the number of dangerous dogs in the area.

Today, she is returning to a house where

neighbours are concerned about a dog that is kept chained up outside,

which seems very unfriendly.

There you go.

BARKING

Tina has made several visits to the house,

but no-one has ever come to the door.

Until now.

Hi.

Tina asks the owners about the dog,

but she doesn't get any clear answers.

And she tells them to improve the animal's living conditions.

A lot of people have a dog that they really haven't got time for,

so it is tied up in the garden 24-7.

These dogs need exercise. Dogs are working dogs at the end of the day.

So they need to have interaction and exercise.

And if they don't get that, they become aggressive,

they get bored and they bark.

Having seen the dog outside a few times,

Tina believes it could be a pit-bull type, which is an illegal breed.

We come across a lot of these dogs, which unfortunately,

are illegal for obvious reasons.

I've seen the injuries inflicted on people.

If they are kept properly and they are trained properly,

they can be perfectly fine.

Pit bulls are banned because they were originally,

and often still are, bred as fighting dogs,

and Tina is concerned as there is a baby living at the house.

Pit bull type dogs in a domestic situation can...

As with any dog, really, can be very difficult because at any time,

a child or a person could upset that dog.

And obviously, the only way a dog can defend itself is by growling

and biting.

So, whilst I don't want to typify the pit bull or anything,

yeah, they're big dogs,

they can cause a lot of damage if they do decide to attack.

While Tina is worried about the dog's welfare,

her main priority is to get it assessed.

I am concerned because there is a young baby at that house.

The dog does live in the house with them

as well as being tied up outside.

What we'll do with that dog now is pass the information to the police

and let them pick up the case from there.

They will come out and possibly seize the dog

and get it examined by the experts in the police force.

We are concerned when animals are kept in close proximity with kids.

While Tina is one of the longest serving dog wardens in Kirklees,

Liz Smith is one of the newest.

I am an animal lover and right from being a child,

my grandfather was a farmer, so I was brought up

in a farm setting.

We're picking up dogs quite regularly in Kirklees,

so I am always at the kennels, making regular visits there.

It is nice to keep tabs on dogs that you have picked up

earlier in the week and the outcomes of the dogs.

Bunny was found on the train to Huddersfield.

And the people then called the dog wardens to go and collect her.

She is a lovely little Staffie-type dog. She's quite young.

And as you can see, she is quite wriggly and excitable.

I do find myself getting attached to some of the dogs,

certain breeds in particular.

I think that's just the nature of the job.

Maxwell.

Good boy. Sit. Sit.

Give us your paw. Good lad. Good boy.

Good boy.

Like Liz, Rachel Senior is also new to the team.

The job has been a bit harder than I thought.

Sometimes there's things that shock you.

I picked a dog up a few weeks ago that had got scald marks

all over its back.

So, I picked it up and took it to the vet's.

And then kind of went and hid and had a little cry.

Today, Rachel and Liz are heading out to a house eight miles away.

We've just had a call to say there's two dogs which have been

taken as captive strays over at Cleckheaton.

In Kirklees at the moment, we are

averaging picking up a couple of strays every day.

So it is quite a problem.

They are female puppies and they suddenly appeared

in someone's garden last night.

Oh, darling.

Dealing with stray dogs is part of our job,

whether that's one that people have come across and they've taken in

and they've called us just to come and collect

or it could be one where people seen a dog in an area,

straying around.

When I first saw the puppies, I thought they was beautiful.

It just makes you wonder how someone could have lost two puppies

that were so young and so lovely and not report them missing to us.

Finding the puppies was quite a surprise for the owners

of the house.

How long have they been in your garden?

Since yesterday evening.

You don't recognise them from living anywhere...?

-Never seen them around here at all.

-Aw, sweetie.

Quite a few people around here have dogs, but I haven't seen these two.

-Yeah.

-They are so cute!

But we can't have them cos we've already been adopted by a cat.

We can't have dogs, unfortunately.

So we just hope we can find who they belong to or find them a nice home.

So far, the puppies haven't been reported as missing.

But where did they come from?

The puppies are a mystery, I think.

I wouldn't have thought someone had took them out and abandoned them,

because they was in good condition.

-We'll scan them and see.

-Yeah, we'll scan them

and, yeah, we'll take them up to the kennels and make them comfy.

And I'm sure we'll re-home them if their owner doesn't come forward.

-Mm-hm. Shouldn't be difficult, should it?

-Hm?

The puppies are quite young

and it is difficult to tell what breed they are.

-How would you describe them?

-Eh...

-A bit of a blend, aren't they?

-They're a cross, aren't they?

-Yeah.

A bit of a terrier cross? Terrier-Staffie, maybe?

Come on, then, guys, let's get you in. Thank you very much.

In her short time as a dog warden,

Liz has often come across one particular type of breed.

We do collect a lot of Staffies and there just isn't really

enough responsible dog owners or suitable homes.

There's lots of crossbreeding, and so it is a problem in Kirklees.

You are a sweetie.

As the puppies seem to have been well looked after,

Liz hopes they may have a caring owner who'll come forward

and solve the mystery as to how they came to be in the garden.

-All right, guys.

-You've been on an adventure, little ladies.

The puppies were found not to be microchipped,

which will make it harder to trace their owner.

All right, darlings.

They were lovely, yeah. They're so lovely, aren't they?

It's always nice when they come straight up to you.

-Straight up, yeah.

-And they want to cuddle.

It's, yeah, nice to get a little snuggle with a puppy

every now and again.

-Do you want a custard cream?

-No, thank you!

Farther out from the centre of Kirklees,

the puppies will be kept at one of the two private kennels

used by the wardens, where they'll be kept for seven days to

give their owner a chance to claim them.

Come on, guys.

While it's hoped the puppies will return home,

Liz knows only too well the reasons why they may not.

People take dogs on and don't realise the financial implications.

I think people take dogs home

and can't control the dogs or don't give the dogs the right

environment, and then the dog might do things like chew the house,

you know, or go to the toilet in the house,

and then the dog gets turfed out.

I think a lot of people breed from dogs

and then realise they can't sell them on.

It is very much a throw-away society

and it is quite heartbreaking, really.

The nuisance dogs at the flat in Newham have been neutered

and the owner has applied to the Council for permission to keep them.

The dog in Kirklees kept on a chain was seized by the police,

but there wasn't enough evidence to suggest it was a pit bull type

and has been returned to its owner.

Tina is still worried about the dog's welfare

and is keeping an eye on the situation.

And the two Staffie puppies were never claimed by their owner,

and have now been re-homed separately.