Pit Bull Seizure, Dementia Dog and Horse Therapy Animal Saints and Sinners


Pit Bull Seizure, Dementia Dog and Horse Therapy

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Transcript


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Good boy.

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Nearly half of Britain owns a pet.

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Nice one, mate.

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It's the council and the police. Can you open the door, please?

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

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I have reason to believe it is your dog

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

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

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..and keep their owners in check.

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I'm not having my dog taken off me!

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I love you too.

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

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I wouldn't know what to do without him.

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They can change and even save lives.

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I owe my life to these horses.

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This is Animal Saints And Sinners.

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Coming up, welfare officers need the help of the police

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when they try to seize what's reported to be

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a banned breed of dog.

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Listen to me. Just calm down one second.

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An ex-soldier finds peace in the company of wild horses.

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I was the calmest I've been for the last 15 years.

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A dog warden in Kirklees has to deal with an aggressive, chained dog

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that might be a pit bull.

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We've had some concerns about the dog being tied up

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in the garden all the time. People are frightened of the dog.

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Newham in East London is one of the capital's poorest

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and most populated boroughs.

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It's obvious that somebody's home, so can you open the door, please?

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Animal welfare manager Tina Delaney and colleague Sue Heathcote

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are on a mission to improve the lives of pets in their borough.

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Come on. It's all right.

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First one is a pit bull. He's not completely...

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Tina and Sue's first call will need police back-up,

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so a briefing is being held for the team.

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PC Pickering runs through the facts of the case.

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Gentleman's rung up telling them that he's lost his pit bull.

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Then he's rung back again to tell them

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that he's now found his pit bull.

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Tina needs to know for certain that the dog is a pit bull -

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a banned breed in the UK.

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As it's on private property, they need a warrant to seize it

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and have it assessed.

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As it's an unknown dog to us, the warrant gives us power

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to search for any articles relating to dangerous dogs - i.e., documents.

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If there's any drugs there to give to the dog

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for post-fighting, or steroids for it fighting.

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Bear in mind we have got power of entry into this place,

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but with dogs being unpredictable

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and there being an emotional attachment to these things,

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it'll be a very softly, slowly approach.

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We don't want to aggravate any situation

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where the dog could be agitated.

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Tina will be dealing with all dog sides of things,

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we'll be dealing with all the human element.

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That's all we're going to be dealing with.

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Any other questions?

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Right, in five minutes out the front.

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We get to know the police officers that we work with,

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because we work with two or three different teams

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and we get to know the teams. We know each other quite well.

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It's quite good cos you know that when you go into a premises,

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they can trust us with knowing that we'll make sure nothing happens

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with any of the dogs, and we know that that's the same with the people.

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Cos, you know, we go into all sorts of houses.

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We go into houses where people have drug addictions

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and there's, you know, needles and stuff like that.

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The last thing you want is somebody coming out

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and stabbing you with one of the needles.

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They're there to make sure that we're protected,

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and we're there to make sure that nothing happens with the dogs.

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It works quite well.

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As this could potentially be a volatile situation

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and a warrant has also been issued, the police attend as well.

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KNOCK AT DOOR

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With no response from the front, the team covers all exits,

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and one of the officers has spotted the dog in the back garden.

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Hello, darling. Hello. Are you frightened or are you cold?

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The dog's owner has finally opened the front door and lets the team in.

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The dog and anything related to your dog,

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such as dog towels, dog leads, dog paperwork.

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-Are you the...?

-Are you the owner?

-I reported my dog lost before.

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Tina and Sue head straight to the garden to get a look at the dog.

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Hello.

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Hello. Are you all right, darling? Hello. There you go.

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Oh, it's people. It's people.

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There you go.

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Tina's immediate impression is that the dog

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is one of the banned breeds, and it's against the law to own one.

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The maximum penalty for having a banned dog is a £5,000 fine

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and possibly six months in prison.

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Dog belongs to you, does it?

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You're making him anxious. Look at that.

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OK, you're making him anxious, because he's been absolutely fine.

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Listen to me... Just calm down one second.

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How can anyone give you any random information,

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-I just come in and knock on someone's door.

-OK.

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As the dog is beginning to show signs of agitation,

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Tina decides to remove him

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so he can be properly assessed to determine if he is a pit bull.

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Come on, then. Come on, come on. Good boy. There you go.

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Good lad.

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Tina briefly returns to the house to explain to the owner

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that she has the right to take the dog, who's called Tyson,

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and that he has to be assessed.

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Yep, we've seized what we believe to be a prohibited dog.

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Obviously it needs to be examined,

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but I'd be very surprised if it's not a pit bull type.

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He's obviously very upset that his dog's been seized

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and doesn't believe that it is a pit bull.

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I think it's definitely going to be a pit.

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He's a nice dog. He's not very old, but he's a nice dog.

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Tyson is taken to the kennels at a secret location

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where he is scanned to see if he has a microchip.

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There you go, good boy.

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He'll be left to settle in for 24 hours.

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Considering he doesn't know me,

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he's handled really well and he's behaving really well.

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He's got a little bit of a bald patch.

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We'll just have a look at that tomorrow

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when he's calmed down a little bit.

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Good boy.

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Tina believes that Tyson is a pit bull,

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but he will be assessed by an independent specialist

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to confirm this.

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It's a big responsibility to own a pit bull.

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Some people don't want that responsibility

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and some people are quite happy to have that,

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or will have that responsibility because they love their dog

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and they want it returned.

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As long as that dog doesn't pose a danger to the public

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and it's neutered, microchipped, third-party insurance,

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registered with DEFRA, and on a muzzle and lead

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for the rest of its life in public places,,

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then that dog can be returned to its owner.

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But, again, the people have to comply with the restrictions.

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If Tyson is found to be a pit bull,

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his owner would have to agree to the strict conditions.

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Otherwise, Tyson will be destroyed

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because it's not possible to re-home banned dogs.

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Good boy. TYSON BARKS

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We'll find out later what the future holds for Tyson.

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Near Dundee, one dog has made a transformation

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to the way one elderly couple live.

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Our dog is a champion.

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He works absolutely wonderfully well.

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He's saved me, I can tell you.

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Moira and Alex White have been married for 55 years

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and have three children and eight grandchildren.

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I first met Alex at the dancing.

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It was a fortnight before my 16th birthday.

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My friend and I, we were planning to emigrate to Canada.

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But because I met Alexander, it didn't happen.

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We got engaged in 1956 and married on Midsummer's Day 1958.

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Moira was a stay-at-home mum raising their three daughters,

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while Alex worked in telecommunications.

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We had our own lives and our own things to do.

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Alex always was involved in football, but what we always made sure of -

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we always had Sundays together with the children.

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Alex retired over 20 years ago,

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and he and Moira enjoy travelling around the world,

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spending at least two months at their holiday home in Malta.

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Then around seven years ago,

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Moira started to notice a difference in her husband.

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His personality began to change.

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If we were in company, he would fly off the handle

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and just do things that weren't him.

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I used to say to the kids, "There's something wrong with Dad,

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"but I can't put my finger on it."

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Soon after, doctors confirmed that Alex had dementia.

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When Alex was first diagnosed, we were...

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..just absolutely gobsmacked.

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'We knew it would be a slow process.

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'But he would be really aggressive and really difficult to manage.

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'I think part and parcel of that was the fact that he wasn't

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'so far gone down the road that he didn't understand.'

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He knew what he had and he knew there would be no cure.

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Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain, lots of different ones.

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but basically it's caused by the loss of nerve cells.

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Symptoms may move on from small memory problems and they may evolve

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as well as long-term memory, the can have language difficulties,

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problems with numbers, or perhaps problems with planning,

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whereas before they've managed to plan a full day,

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perhaps they can't quite manage that any more.

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Often it is quite difficult for family members.

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Carers do have to make quite big adjustments to live with dementia.

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It can also be almost a bigger adjustment for them.

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Have another biscuit, Alex. How many have you had?

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Don't know. Two? Three? Two?

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Wait a minute. One, two, three, four, five. You've only had one.

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You can have another one then.

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'We didn't initially think of how it would change our lives

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'because we were still Alex and Moira.

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'We were still together and he wasn't all that bad.'

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But later on, you could see Alex wasn't able to...

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For instance, he used to help me 50% help in the house.

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He didn't know what end of the Hoover worked,

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'and he would get annoyed

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'because he would be looking at this piece of equipment,

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'and he knew that he used it nearly every day of his life before,

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'but he just couldn't figure out where the plug went.'

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Moira and Alex coped as best they could for five years,

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but very quickly the disease took hold.

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I remember our minister said to me one day, "How is Alex doing?"

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I said, "Well, you know that bit in the wedding service

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"'To love and cherish, till death do us part'?

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"It's getting hard."

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In 2012, a pilot scheme training dogs

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to help people with dementia was set up.

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BARKING

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Dogs love routine.

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They like being fed at the same time of day,

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they like going out for their runs at the same time of day.

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It's also shown that people with dementia like their routines

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as well, and benefit from having consistent routines.

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'Dogs also could help with reminders for different things,

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'with alarm clocks, with fetching medication,'

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which would take the onus a little bit away

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from the partner or the other half.

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Moira and Alex heard about the project

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through their local dementia support group.

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'I don't want my husband to go into a home and sit in a circle'

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just doing nothing.

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I want him to still be active. I want him to still be fit.

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That's why we applied to have the dog.

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That dog has made the biggest difference.

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In 2013, they were matched with a black Labrador,

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also named Alex, who Moira calls Alex Four-Paws.

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His impact on the family was immediate.

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Alex Four-Paws is a saviour.

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'He's so calm. He's so laid back. I call him the horizontal champion.'

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Look at you, you lazy lump.

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Alex was originally in training to be a guide dog.

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Unfortunately, Alex didn't make it as a guide dog

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because he didn't have enough confidence to fulfil that role

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in guiding someone. So I looked at Alex for this Dementia Dog project.

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He loved to retrieve and loved to pick things up,

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so when I was assessing him

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and realised that he enjoyed that sort of thing,

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I thought he would be quite a good dog

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to perform the Dementia Dog tasks.

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ALARM SOUNDS

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He does medicines in the morning and in the evening for Alex.

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Then he does the lunchtime task where the alarm goes off.

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ALARM SOUNDS

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Off he goes and nudges Alex, gets him to follow him.

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Follows him into the kitchen,

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and Alex reads the note and hopefully follows through on the note.

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And the dog has turned out to be not just for Alex's benefit.

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The feelings before I got the dog were...

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.."I can't go on.

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"I can't do this every day" I used to waken up in the morning and say,

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"Oh, not another day like this."

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Now I don't do that.

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Alex, sit.

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Now their days follow a pattern,

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which always involves taking Alex Four-Paws out for regular walks.

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Good boy.

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I think the dog has made a huge benefit,

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not just to Alex but to Moira as well.

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I think that's what we're finding through this project -

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that the dog's giving as much benefits to the carer

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as much as the person with dementia

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because it's given them a focus,

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it's given them a break from everyday life.

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I feel it's brought them a lot closer together.

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There is less tension in their relationship, I feel.

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I've seen a big difference in Alex.

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He has really mellowed since the dog has been in there.

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Come on, then, hon.

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You OK?

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'I can't tell you the difference there has been

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'since that dog came into our life.

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'Alex is much calmer.'

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Less aggressive, less irritable.

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'And I am a lot happier'

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and a lot more energetic, I have to say.

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Come on, baby.

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See what I've got.

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'We all go to bed at the same time, the three of us. We work as a team.

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'We take him everywhere with us.'

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Only place we haven't taken him to is the cinema,

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and we got a baby-sitter for him when we went there.

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Once you get into a good routine, it's a lot easier all round.

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As far as I'm concerned, it's been very helpful.

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He's stopped your wife from shouting at you.

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No, the good thing is that you worked

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in a vet's place for long enough.

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Oh, but that was when I was 16, for goodness' sake.

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When you were a young lady.

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-Now you're not so young as you used to be.

-Ah-ah, watch it.

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I don't think there'll be a...

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a cure for Alzheimer's in Alex's lifetime or mine,

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but it's going to happen one of these days.

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It'll be better for everybody else.

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But as far as Alex Four-Paws is concerned,

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the hope is as my husband gets worse, which is inevitable,

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Alex will be able to do more for him

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because he's part of the family now.

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We're Team Alex, that's what we are.

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-We're just going into the car park.

-We're going home now.

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Ah, yeah.

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In Kirklees, West Yorkshire,

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Tina Shaw is one of the council's dog wardens.

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We aren't giving bags out today.

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It's simply if you haven't picked up, it's a fixed penalty.

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Tina and the other four wardens patrol the area

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looking for strays and people who let their pets foul pavements.

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If I could just ask you to put your dog on a lead when you're walking?

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Right, what sort of dog is it?

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They deal with reports about nuisance dogs, animal welfare,

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and help the police prosecute owners of banned breeds.

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A dog like this will be very difficult to re-home.

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Today Tina's responding to a number of calls

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about an aggressive and very noisy dog

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that's said to be kept tied up outside a house in Huddersfield.

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Hello, dog.

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DOG BARKS

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Some of the dogs we come across can be very aggressive.

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Any dog that we meet, potentially, will attack because we're entering

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the property - they guard the property, often they're frightened.

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Yeah, we've got to be really careful.

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Today Tina's taking no chances.

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DOG BARKS

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There's no answer,

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but she gets close enough to take a proper look at the dog.

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DOG BARKS Come on, then.

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There were also concerns that the dog may be one of the banned breeds.

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We did suspect that this might be a pit bull type dog,

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but having a better look at him now, I think he's more American bulldog.

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If Tina is right in her identification of the dog's breed,

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it doesn't stop her worrying about its aggression or its welfare.

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We do need to make things better for that dog.

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The longer it's left there tied up under the trampoline,

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the more aggressive it's going to get,

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because it's got absolutely nothing to do.

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It's just going to get more aggressive and protect the property.

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So we need to get in there and try

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and sort it out before we have a disaster.

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Find out later what happens

0:19:350:19:36

when Tina returns to talk to the owner of the dog.

0:19:360:19:39

In Scotland, animal welfare is the concern of a charity -

0:19:440:19:47

the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

0:19:470:19:51

Hello, it's the Scottish SPCA, could you come to the door, please?

0:19:520:19:56

The charity investigates over 20,000 reports

0:19:560:19:58

of animal cruelty a year,

0:19:580:20:01

and are one of the first responders to calls throughout Scotland

0:20:010:20:04

for any animal welfare issues.

0:20:040:20:06

I had a complaint about the dogs.

0:20:080:20:09

They have the power to seize animals

0:20:090:20:11

if they're being neglected or abused.

0:20:110:20:14

Oh, you're great.

0:20:170:20:18

Senior Inspector Billy Linton

0:20:180:20:21

has been with the charity for eight years

0:20:210:20:23

and covers a large area around Glasgow.

0:20:230:20:24

I was born in Glasgow. There's no better people than Glasgow people.

0:20:270:20:31

The people that I encounter most of the time look after their pets.

0:20:320:20:36

But animal abuse is there.

0:20:370:20:40

The SSPCA are there to address that.

0:20:420:20:45

We've had a complaint relating to your dog.

0:20:450:20:48

'This job can be confrontational.'

0:20:500:20:52

If you turn up at somebody's door

0:20:520:20:54

because somebody else has accused them of beating their dog,

0:20:540:20:58

not feeding their cat, you suddenly become very unpopular,

0:20:580:21:01

but you have to have a body in place who are authorised to investigate

0:21:010:21:07

and ensure the welfare of an animal,

0:21:070:21:09

because the animals can't speak for themselves.

0:21:090:21:12

Billy helps many pet owners,

0:21:150:21:17

giving advice about how to look after their animals correctly.

0:21:170:21:21

Today he's responding to a call about the welfare of a husky dog

0:21:230:21:26

that's kept on a lead in the front garden of a house near Paisley.

0:21:260:21:30

And it's tied up outside.

0:21:320:21:34

Billy needs to assess the dog for signs of neglect.

0:21:350:21:38

Hiya.

0:21:400:21:41

You've got a cheeky face.

0:21:410:21:42

-Good morning, it's the Scottish SPCA, Inspector Linton.

-Right.

0:21:470:21:50

Somebody's phoned in saying your dog's thin.

0:21:500:21:52

Do you think he looks too thin?

0:21:520:21:54

I don't think he looks too thin, I think he looks OK.

0:21:540:21:56

-He eats like so much.

-Yeah.

0:21:560:21:58

But they're saying it's tied up with cable.

0:21:580:22:00

Yeah, he gets tied there cos he jumps the fence.

0:22:000:22:02

It's not the best thing in the world

0:22:020:22:03

because if he does jump the fence with that

0:22:030:22:05

he's going to end up in quite a bit of a state.

0:22:050:22:07

Dog faeces needs to be lifted, right? Things like that.

0:22:070:22:10

You're going to cause a problem with pathogens with him

0:22:100:22:12

if he's going to be stepping on it and then cleaning himself later.

0:22:120:22:15

That kind of thing. Do you have access to a back garden?

0:22:150:22:18

Yeah, yeah, but it's in a real mess now, that's why he's...

0:22:180:22:22

Billy is concerned that the dog is in the full sun

0:22:220:22:24

in the front garden and wants to take a look at the back.

0:22:240:22:29

You've got a good-sized garden. It's not bad.

0:22:290:22:31

-When you said the garden was bad, it's not bad.

-It's this.

0:22:310:22:33

He's certainly not going to get over the barrier fence.

0:22:330:22:36

If he gets out here, he's not going to escape or anything.

0:22:360:22:38

I know he's out there and he's out in the sun,

0:22:380:22:40

but being tethered like that is not the best idea,

0:22:400:22:42

cos he's not got any water out there either.

0:22:420:22:44

-Right.

-You know what I mean?

-Yeah.

0:22:440:22:46

It's nice right now, but who knows what going to happen in half an hour?

0:22:460:22:49

-Right.

-Huskies are built for really cold, sharp frost weather.

0:22:490:22:53

They're not really great for wet weather that's windy with it.

0:22:530:22:57

Their coats are not really designed too good for that.

0:22:570:22:59

When he's indoors, Austin the dog is kept in a cage which is adequate.

0:22:590:23:03

But as he's mostly kept outside,

0:23:030:23:06

and his owner prefers him to stay in the front garden,

0:23:060:23:09

Billy has plenty of advice to give Austin's owner.

0:23:090:23:12

Clear the front garden of any injurious material.

0:23:120:23:15

Give them a good brush-out.

0:23:150:23:17

Bring your bins a bit further this way

0:23:170:23:19

so he's not got access to them.

0:23:190:23:21

Make sure he has water at all times when he's out there,

0:23:210:23:23

and if he's out for any length of time he really should have shelter.

0:23:230:23:26

Any animal should be able to express normal behaviour,

0:23:260:23:29

and he's only able to take a few steps in any direction

0:23:290:23:32

so he should be able to move properly.

0:23:320:23:34

-Has he been neutered yet?

-What?

0:23:340:23:35

Has he been neutered yet?

0:23:350:23:37

-What's that?

-Castrated.

0:23:370:23:39

-He's not had his testicles removed?

-No.

0:23:390:23:42

You know, it stops any...

0:23:420:23:45

..possible risk of any cancers

0:23:450:23:47

and it's a healthy aspect.

0:23:470:23:49

A lot of people don't like to neuter their dogs

0:23:490:23:51

because they think they'll put weight on.

0:23:510:23:53

They shouldn't put weight on,

0:23:530:23:55

so long as they're not getting fed too much and get exercise regularly. OK?

0:23:550:23:59

Billy is satisfied with the general welfare of the dog

0:23:590:24:02

and feels the owner has taken on board all the points he's made.

0:24:020:24:07

You can tell she genuinely cares for the dog.

0:24:070:24:10

The dog was OK, it was happy,

0:24:100:24:12

it was very friendly, it was lively,

0:24:120:24:14

just needed that bit more thought put into the way it was being kept.

0:24:140:24:18

DOG WHIMPERS

0:24:180:24:20

If I'm in the area, I would certainly leave it at least a fortnight,

0:24:210:24:24

certainly if the weather improves

0:24:240:24:26

and it gets really hot, and I think that

0:24:260:24:29

she might not have complied with what was asked for, I would

0:24:290:24:31

have a wee look and just make sure everything was OK.

0:24:310:24:34

If it was any worse, or still in the same situation,

0:24:340:24:38

and they'd obviously not taken the advice,

0:24:380:24:40

then the welfare notice may be required.

0:24:400:24:43

Having a pet to care for

0:24:470:24:48

is thought to be good for our health,

0:24:480:24:50

but there are some animals who help people

0:24:500:24:53

who are suffering in surprising ways.

0:24:530:24:55

If anybody suggested to me

0:24:550:24:58

that a horse would be the route to getting my life back on track

0:24:580:25:01

after trauma,

0:25:010:25:02

then I would have laughed in their faces.

0:25:020:25:05

43-year-old Hugh Forsyth joined the Army

0:25:050:25:07

when he was 16 years old.

0:25:070:25:10

Army life is fantastic.

0:25:100:25:12

You get to see the world. You experience a bit of danger,

0:25:120:25:15

which is good when you're younger,

0:25:150:25:17

and it's a tight-knit community within the military,

0:25:170:25:19

and it's almost like having a second family.

0:25:190:25:22

His speciality in the Royal Engineers

0:25:220:25:25

was one of the most high-risk in his unit.

0:25:250:25:28

Bomb disposal.

0:25:280:25:30

You didn't know when you'd be called out.

0:25:300:25:32

You didn't know what you'd face when you did have a call-out.

0:25:320:25:36

And the dangers Hugh faced were very real at times.

0:25:360:25:40

My first major trauma was when I was 18

0:25:400:25:43

and my first tour in Northern Ireland.

0:25:430:25:45

I was with my team on a patrol

0:25:450:25:49

to protect the finish line

0:25:490:25:52

of a charity fun run.

0:25:520:25:55

Six soldiers were on that run

0:25:550:25:57

and when they'd finished the run they got into their vehicle

0:25:570:26:00

and the vehicle blew up in front of us.

0:26:000:26:03

Pretty harrowing, yeah.

0:26:030:26:06

When he was 26, Hugh was threatened at gunpoint

0:26:070:26:10

while helping clear land mines in Bosnia.

0:26:100:26:12

Then, after a spinal injury, he was discharged from the Army on medical grounds.

0:26:120:26:17

It was like the whole world had been taken out from under my feet.

0:26:200:26:24

It felt like I was orphaned.

0:26:240:26:26

Everything that I knew about life as an adult

0:26:260:26:31

was completely the opposite to civilian life.

0:26:310:26:34

So when you leave the military and have to

0:26:340:26:37

make your way in the civilian world,

0:26:370:26:39

it is just as frightening as walking up to any bomb.

0:26:390:26:42

When I came home and got my first job

0:26:450:26:48

in civvy street, in telecommunications,

0:26:480:26:51

I just got on with it and I thought that I was coping.

0:26:510:26:54

But actually I wasn't coping.

0:26:540:26:57

I was having flashbacks.

0:26:570:26:59

And I was terrified

0:26:590:27:01

of going onto buses and trains and dealing with the public.

0:27:010:27:05

I was also very, very scared of

0:27:050:27:08

dustbins and backpacks and people looking at me a certain way.

0:27:080:27:13

It really narrows your lifestyle down to

0:27:130:27:17

literally nothing.

0:27:170:27:19

At the time Hugh was married with two young children.

0:27:190:27:24

My marriage was beginning to fail.

0:27:240:27:26

I was having arguments at work.

0:27:260:27:29

I couldn't form relationships with the people around me.

0:27:290:27:32

I didn't have that team network

0:27:320:27:34

that I felt with the guys I'd served with.

0:27:340:27:37

Things disintegrated. Within 18 months I'd had a nervous breakdown.

0:27:370:27:41

I was divorced, and life was just totally, totally black.

0:27:410:27:47

Hugh spent the next decade trying to keep a lid

0:27:470:27:51

on his anxieties.

0:27:510:27:54

I did turn to drink.

0:27:540:27:56

I wasn't me, but there was nothing I could do about it, either.

0:27:560:28:00

You know what you're doing is wrong.

0:28:000:28:02

But the pain is so bad that you just

0:28:020:28:05

will do anything for that pain to go away.

0:28:050:28:09

At mu utter lowest point I just wanted to actually end my life.

0:28:090:28:14

So I attempted to commit suicide.

0:28:140:28:16

At that point your brain isn't functioning

0:28:160:28:20

in the way it would normally function.

0:28:200:28:23

So ending your life seems to be

0:28:230:28:27

a good step, actually, at that point.

0:28:270:28:30

I know it's quite strange and quite shocking to say that,

0:28:300:28:33

but that, compared to what you're dealing with,

0:28:330:28:36

is a really good option at the time,

0:28:360:28:39

and it's really scary that is an option.

0:28:390:28:41

But thankfully I didn't succeed.

0:28:410:28:44

Hugh was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder

0:28:460:28:49

and spent six years in cognitive behavioural therapy.

0:28:490:28:53

But his experiences in the Army kept resurfacing.

0:28:530:28:59

Hugh had almost lost hope,

0:28:590:29:01

until a friend suggested equine-assisted therapy

0:29:010:29:05

and a programme called Dare to Live.

0:29:050:29:07

I was recommended to come here

0:29:070:29:10

as part of an alternative therapy, fully expecting

0:29:100:29:13

just to come down and stroke horses and that would be the end of it.

0:29:130:29:16

Well, actually what I did attend was a three-day

0:29:160:29:19

psychological retraining programme.

0:29:190:29:22

What we're going to explore today

0:29:220:29:24

is the idea that we have different boundaries

0:29:240:29:27

for different reasons.

0:29:270:29:29

I would say they're survival instinct boundaries.

0:29:290:29:32

The Dare to Live programme is a transition programme,

0:29:320:29:35

specifically designed for servicemen

0:29:350:29:37

as they come out of what might be termed a very institutional

0:29:370:29:40

way of life into civilian life.

0:29:400:29:43

The horses at the centre aren't stabled or ridden.

0:29:440:29:47

Instead, they live an almost wild existence.

0:29:470:29:50

They live in the woods, they use each other for shelter,

0:29:500:29:54

which is the more natural way horses are out in the wild.

0:29:540:29:59

What you're getting is a much more realistic

0:29:590:30:02

behaviour from the horses here.

0:30:020:30:05

The theory behind the work here is that, as horses are highly sensitive

0:30:050:30:09

to humans' intentions and feelings,

0:30:090:30:11

they're naturally able to help people understand

0:30:110:30:14

how their actions or behaviours appear to others.

0:30:140:30:18

I arrived on day one,

0:30:180:30:20

Coley came forward out of the herd of six horses that are here

0:30:200:30:25

and stood by the fence and literally put his

0:30:250:30:27

head out to me as soon as I got out of the car.

0:30:270:30:30

And there was an instant connection.

0:30:300:30:33

It was like a bolt of lightning. For some reason,

0:30:330:30:35

the anxiety dropped away.

0:30:350:30:37

Nice, warm feeling throughout my body.

0:30:370:30:40

I was the calmest I'd been for the last 15 years.

0:30:400:30:43

It was life-changing.

0:30:430:30:46

Hugh is a prime example of somebody who came

0:30:460:30:49

very crushed, thought he had no hope of ever working again,

0:30:490:30:54

was starting to settle for

0:30:540:30:57

a fairly limited way of living.

0:30:570:31:01

And certainly had a lot of stress in his life.

0:31:010:31:05

I wasn't living very much of a life, to be honest,

0:31:050:31:08

and now I've got a job back,

0:31:080:31:10

my children are much more at ease around me.

0:31:100:31:12

And another great reward from this is that now

0:31:120:31:15

I've progressed on to become a facilitator.

0:31:150:31:18

I'm now watching other veterans and their families

0:31:180:31:21

benefit from this fantastic programme.

0:31:210:31:24

And it warms my heart to give them their lives back as well.

0:31:240:31:29

If you try and take a nice, big, deep breath...

0:31:290:31:32

HE BREATHES OUT

0:31:320:31:34

Today he's with Army veteran Ben Meade,

0:31:350:31:38

who was in a plane that was shot down in Afghanistan.

0:31:380:31:41

I'll give you around ten minutes.

0:31:410:31:43

Sleep was a big problem.

0:31:460:31:48

Eating was very hit-and-miss.

0:31:480:31:50

But, really, it was the stress levels that were very high.

0:31:500:31:54

And then realising, waking up one morning, that you've got nothing,

0:31:540:31:57

from having everything to nothing,

0:31:570:31:59

you put it into perspective and think, "It's time to get help."

0:31:590:32:02

Working with the horses, what it helps us do

0:32:020:32:05

is really understand, "What is it I'm doing

0:32:050:32:10

"and what effect does that have on the other?"

0:32:100:32:14

What we're looking for is every ear movement, every eye movement,

0:32:140:32:17

the position of the mouth, the position of the horse's body,

0:32:170:32:20

they all mean something

0:32:200:32:23

in horse language.

0:32:230:32:25

What we get from that is a visual representation

0:32:250:32:28

of what is resonating from the client.

0:32:280:32:30

When she turned to face me, she was quite relaxed.

0:32:330:32:36

And she offered a lot there.

0:32:360:32:38

She did, she offered a lot.

0:32:380:32:39

I went to her but she got a little bit tense again.

0:32:390:32:42

So what we'll try again is if you approach

0:32:420:32:46

with even more noticing than you have done before.

0:32:460:32:49

Then every time you notice any change,

0:32:490:32:52

just take that step back and sigh.

0:32:520:32:56

And see if you can take more time.

0:32:560:32:59

Something like this does make you find your inner peace.

0:32:590:33:02

I know from being ill in hospital

0:33:020:33:05

you can do relaxation therapy,

0:33:050:33:06

but coming here, working with animals,

0:33:060:33:09

it really does make you find your true self.

0:33:090:33:12

So what do you think you could use from this experience,

0:33:120:33:15

this session today?

0:33:150:33:17

Understanding each other's boundaries,

0:33:170:33:20

and don't encroach on somebody's space.

0:33:200:33:23

You don't have to be overbearing on someone.

0:33:250:33:30

And understanding their needs.

0:33:300:33:32

Brilliant. Good work.

0:33:320:33:35

Over the last four years, the horses here have helped

0:33:390:33:42

around 350 people.

0:33:420:33:45

Because of the traumas I've experienced in the military,

0:33:500:33:53

I will more than likely always have

0:33:530:33:55

post-dramatic stress disorder to some extent.

0:33:550:33:58

However, because of the work I've done here with the horses,

0:33:580:34:02

the post-traumatic stress will not control my life any more.

0:34:020:34:05

I'm in more control of it.

0:34:050:34:07

Just being in a field with the horse,

0:34:110:34:13

for more than five minutes,

0:34:130:34:16

it's like the world doesn't exist out there

0:34:160:34:18

and it's just you and him,

0:34:180:34:20

which is fantastic and it helps me

0:34:200:34:22

be in the moment, not worried about the future,

0:34:220:34:25

not worried about what happened in the past.

0:34:250:34:27

And that is the way I want to live my life.

0:34:270:34:30

Like other boroughs across the country,

0:34:390:34:42

Newham receives its fair share of hoax calls from timewasters

0:34:420:34:45

and those trying to get someone else into trouble.

0:34:450:34:47

But they all have to be followed up,

0:34:470:34:49

just in case.

0:34:490:34:52

Today, Tina Delaney and Sue Heathcote

0:34:520:34:54

are responding to a report about some dogs

0:34:540:34:56

that are dangerously out of control.

0:34:560:34:58

-Do you have any dogs on the premises?

-No, I've got cats.

0:35:010:35:04

Come in, and you're more than welcome to see my gaff.

0:35:040:35:07

Tina and Sue immediately realise the information

0:35:070:35:09

they've been given is from one of those

0:35:090:35:12

nuisance calls.

0:35:120:35:14

-How many cats do you have?

-Three.

0:35:140:35:16

-Are they neutered?

-Yes.

0:35:160:35:18

Oh, brilliant.

0:35:180:35:19

But the tenant is keen to show Tina and Sue

0:35:190:35:22

that she's a responsible pet owner.

0:35:220:35:25

Here, look, come...that's what they've got left over from last time I got paid.

0:35:250:35:31

There's their biscuits.

0:35:310:35:35

If you want to find fault with me, find it.

0:35:350:35:39

But the only fault you'll find with me is I have

0:35:390:35:41

a hangover and I ain't fed 'em this morning.

0:35:410:35:45

-Sorry.

-No, that's fine.

0:35:450:35:47

Tina and Sue try to reassure her that they're not

0:35:470:35:50

concerned with the welfare of her cats.

0:35:500:35:52

There's three bowls there.

0:35:520:35:55

That's fine.

0:35:550:35:56

The only thing I would suggest is that maybe

0:35:560:36:00

you have two litter trays.

0:36:000:36:02

That's the only thing I'd suggest.

0:36:020:36:04

That's only cos the litter has built up.

0:36:040:36:05

Tina explains that there have been no complaints about the cats.

0:36:050:36:09

She's keen to move on to their next call.

0:36:090:36:12

But the cats' owner has other ideas.

0:36:120:36:15

There's their blanket, look.

0:36:180:36:20

No, I'm absolutely fine with the cats. Where are they anyway?

0:36:200:36:23

-They're hiding from you.

-All right, OK! I'd hide from me as well.

0:36:230:36:27

All right, then. You can go back to bed now.

0:36:270:36:30

I'm going to feed the cats before I go back to bed.

0:36:300:36:33

OK.

0:36:330:36:35

I'm not concerned that there's any dangerous dogs on the premises.

0:36:350:36:39

-And, like she said, she wouldn't have dogs there because she's got three cats.

-No, makes sense.

0:36:390:36:45

Each call-out they receive is different,

0:36:470:36:49

so Tina and Sue never quite now what's coming next.

0:36:490:36:53

You have some really unusual things,

0:36:530:36:55

cos you go into people's homes and you never know what to expect.

0:36:550:37:00

We've had goats running along the road and stuff like that.

0:37:000:37:03

I suppose that's unusual for a London borough.

0:37:030:37:05

We had a pig along the A13.

0:37:050:37:08

We were trying to catch him and people stopped in a car,

0:37:080:37:11

shouting things like, "Are you trying to catch the bacon?"

0:37:110:37:16

What do you think's the most unusual thing?

0:37:160:37:18

I think it was the alleged porcupine somebody had in their garden.

0:37:180:37:22

We never found it, so I don't think it really existed.

0:37:220:37:24

But it was interesting for a while. You ought to go left here.

0:37:240:37:28

We've had snakes in people's toilets and all sorts of things.

0:37:280:37:31

I suppose once you've been doing a job for a long time,

0:37:310:37:34

I think it's very hard to define what's unusual,

0:37:340:37:38

cos you get used to things being different.

0:37:380:37:41

It's only when you start talking to somebody else

0:37:410:37:43

that you realise that's not

0:37:430:37:46

everyday occurrence, really.

0:37:460:37:48

Over in Kirklees, Tina Shore's returning to a house

0:37:560:37:59

in Huddersfield where there have been a number of calls

0:37:590:38:02

about an aggressive, noisy dog tied up in a yard.

0:38:020:38:04

DOG BARKS

0:38:040:38:05

There had been suspicions that it was a banned breed,

0:38:080:38:11

but Tina wasn't convinced.

0:38:110:38:14

It's an American Bulldog.

0:38:140:38:16

As you can see, it's not the most ideal environment

0:38:160:38:19

to keep a large dog on the end of a chain

0:38:190:38:21

in such a residential area.

0:38:210:38:23

The dog itself is in good condition,

0:38:230:38:26

and they've given it some bedding, but it has no

0:38:260:38:28

real exercise area.

0:38:280:38:30

So what I need to speak to them about is how often it's exercised,

0:38:300:38:35

who takes it out, whose dog it is,

0:38:350:38:37

and so on, and just have a general chat with them, really.

0:38:370:38:40

Good boy, good boy.

0:38:400:38:41

Good boy.

0:38:410:38:43

DOG BARKS

0:38:430:38:44

Hello?!

0:38:500:38:51

Hiya. The reason we've come, really,

0:38:540:38:57

is because we've had some concerns

0:38:570:38:59

about the dog being tied up in the garden all the time, and people

0:38:590:39:02

are frightened of the dog.

0:39:020:39:04

We've come across dogs that are tied up to chains.

0:39:040:39:06

These dogs need exercise.

0:39:060:39:08

If they don't get that they become aggressive, they get bored

0:39:080:39:10

and they bark.

0:39:100:39:12

It's really not good for anybody to have it tied up all the time.

0:39:120:39:15

The residents explain that the owner

0:39:150:39:17

of the dog isn't in.

0:39:170:39:19

But what I wanted to ask you to do is, really,

0:39:190:39:21

if you can just make sure your dog's always got water,

0:39:210:39:25

if you can just make sure you keep the area clean for us, yeah?

0:39:250:39:28

But people in the area are a little bit frightened of the dog.

0:39:280:39:31

Because when you're not in the house,

0:39:310:39:35

she's here on her own, isn't she?

0:39:350:39:36

That can be dangerous cos anybody could just walk into your garden,

0:39:360:39:39

so it's a little bit dangerous as well.

0:39:390:39:42

Dealing with families and pets is very emotive.

0:39:420:39:44

The animals may not be kept in good conditions,

0:39:440:39:47

but they love them, and it's just getting people to try and think differently

0:39:470:39:50

about how they're keeping them,

0:39:500:39:53

and looking for a better way forward.

0:39:530:39:56

If I leave my card do you think your brother will give me a ring?

0:39:560:39:59

-Erm...yes.

-OK.

0:39:590:40:00

We're not just all out to sort of

0:40:000:40:03

tell people off all the time,

0:40:030:40:05

we're trying to help people as well with the dogs.

0:40:050:40:07

OK, thank you for your time, then.

0:40:070:40:09

-See you later.

-Bye.

-Bye.

0:40:090:40:12

Tina will pass on her advice

0:40:120:40:14

once she finally gets to speak to the dog's owner

0:40:140:40:16

and will continue to monitor the dog's welfare.

0:40:160:40:19

Earlier in Newham, Tina Delaney

0:40:220:40:24

responded to a call which required police back-up.

0:40:240:40:28

A pit-bull type dog, called Tyson,

0:40:280:40:30

had escaped from his owner's garden.

0:40:300:40:32

And a warrant was issued to seize him.

0:40:320:40:36

Hello.

0:40:360:40:39

Pit-bulls are a banned breed in the UK,

0:40:390:40:41

and any that are allowed to be kept as pets

0:40:410:40:44

must never escape from a garden

0:40:440:40:45

and must wear a muzzle at all times in public.

0:40:450:40:49

Good boy, he's a good boy.

0:40:490:40:52

Tina took Tyson away to find out exactly what breed he is.

0:40:530:40:59

Both Tina and an independent assessor agree

0:41:000:41:05

that Tyson IS a pit-bull.

0:41:050:41:07

Tyson's a really nice boy, as you can see.

0:41:070:41:09

He's lovely.

0:41:090:41:11

He's actually been well trained, he's quite a nice dog.

0:41:110:41:14

The only thing that concerns me is that he may go home

0:41:140:41:17

and escape again.

0:41:170:41:20

This is such a common occurrence of dogs escaping

0:41:200:41:23

through gardens, and one of the things we always say to people is to make sure

0:41:230:41:27

that you regularly check your garden

0:41:270:41:29

that your dog's not escaping and it can't get out of there,

0:41:290:41:32

especially when there's been storms or high winds.

0:41:320:41:34

You should always check your garden, regardless of the breed of dog you have,

0:41:340:41:38

because dogs do readily escape out of gardens,

0:41:380:41:41

especially with fences that are made out of wood.

0:41:410:41:44

As Tyson is a good-natured dog, and his owner has agreed to comply

0:41:440:41:48

with all the strict conditions of the Dangerous Dogs Act,

0:41:480:41:50

Tyson will be returned to his owner.

0:41:500:41:54

We have explained to the owner that this is his second chance.

0:41:540:41:58

If he doesn't make sure that Tyson never escapes,

0:41:580:42:01

and he escapes again,

0:42:010:42:04

then the dog will be seized and there's a very strong likelihood

0:42:040:42:07

that he will be prosecuted.

0:42:070:42:10

And, ultimately, usually

0:42:100:42:12

that dog pays that cost with its life.

0:42:120:42:15

And that's something we don't want to happen.

0:42:150:42:18

It's a happy ending for Tyson

0:42:180:42:20

and a good day's work for Tina.

0:42:200:42:23

I love my job because it varies.

0:42:230:42:26

It can be very, very heartbreaking

0:42:260:42:28

but at the same time it can be very, very rewarding.

0:42:280:42:33

I absolutely love working with animals and always have done,

0:42:330:42:36

so that's one of the reasons I love my job.

0:42:360:42:39

The owner of the American Bulldog has been spoken to

0:42:390:42:43

and has taken on board Tina Shore's comments.

0:42:430:42:46

The Husky dog, Austin, is still with his owner,

0:42:460:42:49

and the SSPCA are happy he's now being well looked after.

0:42:490:42:55

Tyson, the pit-bull, has now been reunited with his owner.

0:42:550:43:00

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