A Husky Living in a Scrapyard, a Hero Dog and an Ex-Racehorse Animal Saints and Sinners


A Husky Living in a Scrapyard, a Hero Dog and an Ex-Racehorse

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-Good boy.

-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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We have reason to believe it is your dog and that you've had it for a fair few years and not two weeks.

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When things go wrong,

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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 from my house.

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-I love you too.

-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...

-I think it's a potential of type.

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He needs more water.

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Dog control officers in Salford

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are concerned about two dogs that live in a scrap-yard.

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I really hope that someone's taken that dog in.

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I'm concerned he's hurt.

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We meet a retired racehorse who turned one girl's life around.

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We just looked at each other and from then on there was just

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a spark between us.

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And a heroic dog that put his own life in danger to save his owner.

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I was really frightened. I thought I was going to lose my best friend.

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All local authorities across the UK

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have a duty to deal with stray and lost dogs.

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Come here, mate. Do you know him?

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Where does he live?

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But in Salford, dog control officers Will Harris and Erica Eaton

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also work closely with the Greater Manchester Police

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to keep an eye on those listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

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Will, be careful.

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-Good boy.

-Look at the side of his head.

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He's got quite a big head.

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You can always tell by the jaw.

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There are four banned breeds of dog in the UK.

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But with an application through the courts, some owners can be allowed

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to keep them, if it's deemed safe

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and certain restrictions are adhered to.

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We've been working with the GMP, Manchester Police,

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just checking the exempt dogs in Salford,

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which means we go to the property,

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we check that the dog's muzzled, tattooed, micro-chipped,

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neutered and they have insurance

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and just to see the general health of the dog

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and to make sure that they're caring for the dog

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and following the rules of the exemption notice.

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In Salford, there are 15 banned-breed dogs that have been legalised.

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The police have asked Will and Erica

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to do an unannounced house-to-house check.

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We're just going to check on Missy, an exempt pit-bull.

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We've been before and we didn't see a muzzle

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so we're going to make sure that the owner,

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a responsible owner hopefully, has got a muzzle this time.

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Five weeks ago, Will and Erica visited this address

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and it wasn't just the lack of a muzzle they were worried about.

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They were also concerned that she was under-weight

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and had advised the owner to take her to a vet straightaway.

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-So what's the vet said, she's got tapeworm?

-Yeah.

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-And she only took her yesterday?

-Yeah.

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It's a few weeks ago now since we last visited.

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Have you got a muzzle?

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Oh, excellent. We'll just have a quick look.

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-Right, is that what they've given her?

-Yeah, that's fine.

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We've been before and we didn't have one so I'm glad she's got one now.

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And you're beautiful, aren't you?

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Aren't you beautiful? Oh, yes.

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And again, let's see if we can see the tattoo.

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All dogs that are pit-bulls, exempt dogs, will have a tattoo.

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Missy's owner is now complying with the rules

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but Will and Erica are still concerned about her weight,

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especially as the vet has confirmed she has tapeworm.

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She's a lovely girl.

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So we called about four or five week ago now, and erm...

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Just on the off-chance, I spoke to your partner about Missy's weight.

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Been a long time, really, for her to be that thin.

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-Fix her, we'll see you again.

-Missy... Come on then. Bye.

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I wasn't impressed with the fact that it's four or five weeks

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since we last visited and I told him

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then that Missy needed to see a vet so it's, like,

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nearly five weeks down the line and she's only seen the vet this week.

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That treatment that she's been given

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could have been given a few weeks ago

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and we now could have seen a difference, but...

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You don't know their personal circumstances, do you?

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In fairness, if it had been my dog, she'd have been there the next day.

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But not everybody's the same, are they?

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Will and Erica will keep a close eye on Missy

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until they're happy she's being well cared for.

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Their next call is to try and track down the owner of a pit-bull

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who can't be found at the address the dog is registered to.

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We've actually been to a property

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where the dog was supposed to be residing

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and the property was tinned up

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so we've since found out that the dog could be at this address here

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so we're just going to investigate.

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-We've been asked to come round by the police with regards to

-BEEP

-dog.

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-She's got an exempt pit-bull, hasn't she?

-Right.

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That had reason to believe that she was erm...

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Had links to this property.

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It turns out that the dog's owner doesn't live here either.

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We have about 15 dogs on the exempt list in Salford at the moment.

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We need to make sure that we know when they've moved to tell us

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and to keep a regular check on these dogs because, you know,

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they are exempt and we need to make sure

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that the residents of Salford are safe

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and do know that there's exempt dogs in the area.

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She's got a new property.

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-Right.

-But I think, at the end of the day,

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knowing that her dog's like it is,

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she should have rung you and told you.

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Yes, part of her exemption for the dog, has to.

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Dog attacks is headline news at the moment

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so obviously we want to make sure she's following the rules

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so that there's no problems in the future.

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The tenants of the property hand over the details they have for the owner of the dog.

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Because the owner has moved out of Salford,

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the case will be handled by the police in that area.

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Alongside the pit-bulls that are exempt,

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Will and Erica also have to report any dogs not on the register

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that they believe may be banned breeds.

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We're in Lower Kersal and we're going to a scrap-yard where,

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I believe, there is a pit-bull on site.

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This isn't Will's first visit to the scrap-yard.

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Earlier this week,

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he found a husky dog roaming in the area which had run loose from there.

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He took the husky back to the pound,

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but the owner has yet to pay the fine and collect the his dog.

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The owner of the scrap-yard isn't in, but someone opens the gate

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to let them take a look at the dog Will suspects is a pit-bull.

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Can we come in?

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Very, very careful.

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Where's the dog? Is he tied up?

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Right, this is the dog we saw, yeah.

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When I came here on Monday he was running around.

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-I think it's a potential of type.

-It's potentially of type, OK.

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-He's locked up here.

-Hello.

-Has he got food and water in there?

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Well, he's no water there at the moment, there's no food.

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Hello, mate. Are you a handsome boy, yes, he is...

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-He needs more water.

-Yes.

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OK, thank for your help, thanks for your assistance.

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Thank you very much indeed, thank you.

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Thank you, see ya.

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We've seen the dog now.

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Doesn't look like it's very well kept in the conditions,

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there's no water for it.

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We believe it could be of type, we've taken a photograph

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and we're going to submit that photograph

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to our contact at the police for assessment.

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We're authorised to issue fixed penalties.

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That's where our powers end.

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We have no control over cruelty cases, we can't seize dogs.

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All we can do is advise.

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And sometimes the fact that erm...

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If we keep going back, if we suspect a dog's being not treated correctly,

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if we keep going back, sometimes it's more of a deterrent

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than actually for anyone with court cases, fines and stuff like that.

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It's just keeping on top of them sometimes.

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Back at the pound, the owner of the scrap-yard has arrived

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to pick up the husky that Will had seized from the premises

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earlier in the week.

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-So the guy who owns the dogs...

-Yeah.

-He's on holiday?

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Yeah, he's coming back after tomorrow, I think.

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-Does he live in Salford?

-Yeah.

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-So that's the dog's chip number.

-OK.

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It's chipped with Pet Log and that's their telephone number

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so if you tell him to ring them, give him that number,

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-tell him he needs to change the dog's details.

-Lovely. Thank you.

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And also we need to look out for any holes in the fence

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how the dog got out in the first place.

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Because obviously it's got out, we don't know how.

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Right. Now let's get the dog.

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OK, make sure when you get the dog home give him plenty of water.

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He's just had two big bowls, but make sure he has some more.

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It's warm over in the kennels as well.

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But he's been well looked after.

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Where are you? You're not going to go anywhere.

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The dog has escaped twice already.

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Both times, this man has come to collect him,

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although he claims the dog is not his.

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So make sure you get that chip changed, it's very important.

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-Also a tag.

-Yeah.

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Because what would happen, a member of the public would have found him,

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they would have looked at the tag and would have phoned the owner straightaway

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-and it would have saved you 25 quid.

-OK.

-OK?

-I'll sort it out, yeah.

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Find out later what happens

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when the husky is allowed to escape yet again.

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If he's hurt he could be lying in the bushes or something, you just...

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It's going to be by chance that someone finds him.

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Horses are very, very important.

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They're a big part of my life.

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But there's always one that holds the key to my heart which is Monty.

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Montendre, also known as Monty, is a 27-year-old ex-racehorse.

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Monty's a really special horse.

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He was very highly raced in his career,

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104 races altogether was a lot over 11 years.

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He had 12 wins, two of the wins

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when he was a two-year-old with Frankie Dettori on board.

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Monty now lives a life of leisure at a horse charity in Wiltshire.

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Monty has been with the charity about 12 years now.

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Since he's come out of racing, I think

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he was fairly quiet but his confidence has sort of grown now.

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He's a lovely horse, very intelligent.

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He's looked after horses, I think he looks after people as well

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and he tends to choose the people he likes so he's a very special horse.

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Good boy.

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-Good boy.

-Six years ago, Monty made friends with Amy from Marlborough.

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When I was 13 I got put into care because of troubles at home.

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Amy prefers to keep the details private

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about what happened before she went into care.

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Obviously I was quite a way away from my friends and family

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so I was away from everybody that I knew.

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And put into a new place and that was very, very scary as well.

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Amy was so distressed

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that she found it incredibly difficult to speak to anyone.

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I've always been very, very, very shy.

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And not wanting to talk to people or...

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I couldn't go to a shop to buy sweets,

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I couldn't leave my mum's side.

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At school, I was struggling with, like, English, maths...

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The basics really and then when you work into teams,

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I didn't like that either.

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Amy was offered conventional counselling and therapies

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to try and help express her feelings

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and start talking again but nothing seemed to help.

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My school decided to...

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They came up with this idea that I didn't actually realise

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that it was going to change my life.

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The idea was for Amy to take part

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in a special training programme with horses.

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When Amy first arrived here, she was troubled and withdrawn

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and was finding it difficult to communicate with people.

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Erm... And generally felt unhappy.

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All the programmes that we do here are specifically targeted

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for emotional literacy

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so that is why we felt that perhaps Amy was a person

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that could possibly benefit from coming to us

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and maybe she could come out of her shell a little bit

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and see and love and trust an animal.

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I didn't think I needed help at the time.

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I thought it was a silly idea...

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..that they came up with.

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But they...when they started talking about, it's animals,

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it's horses, and...

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Like, you learn how to look after them and groom them,

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I started coming round because horses are my favourite animals

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and it's something that I really, really wanted to do from a young age.

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So that's how they got me around to wanting to come here.

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But Amy's strong feelings for the horses came up against her inner fears

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and when she arrived at the centre,

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Amy wouldn't get out of the car and didn't speak to anyone.

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It was very scary, it was out of my comfort zone.

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They'd taken me out of school to come to a place that I didn't know anyone.

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Er...very scary.

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Eventually, Amy overcame her anxiety and agreed to go and see the horses.

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Hello, Mont.

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Monty.

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I was walking around with the teacher,

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just meeting every horse

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and I walked into this barn.

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Every horse sort of looked at you because they're like, "Oh, new person."

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So Monty did exactly the same.

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He just looked at me.

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But we both, we just looked at each other

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and from then on there was just a spark between us.

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I don't know what. It just kind of happened.

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(Good boy.)

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I would say it was love at first sight

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because he didn't do anything different to any other horse,

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he just looked at me and there was an...

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There was just something there.

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That made be love him and obviously he...hopefully feels the same way.

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SHE LAUGHS

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Don't you?

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The special training programme was set up

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to help vulnerable children and young adults.

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We offer a service for the local community in as much that

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if children and young people are not flourishing in a normal classroom environment

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and they have special educational needs,

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we can provide something here,

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by their relationship with an animal

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that will build up their self-esteem, build up their confidence

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and also having to work together so it builds up teamwork

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and we all have to be working in a team as life goes on, don't we?

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So it's all that type of thing.

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So it's social skills and of course then it's the fact that

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these horses do give something back to these children and young people.

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Monty helped me through the toughest times. He listens to me.

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He was the first thing that I spoke to

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when I started coming out of my shell at Greatwood, erm...

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I don't know, there's just something about him that

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made me feel like I can actually do something with my life.

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Looking after him, I kind of did everything for him.

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Which was really good, it built our bond up even more.

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Er... I used to sing to him and he would fall asleep in my arms.

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He's just big, cuddly fluff-ball.

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He's, like, he's not just a horse.

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He's my best friend.

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I think Monty's had a significant effect on Amy's life,

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in as much that from Monty, she has gained confidence.

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She's blossomed and flourished

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and she's found a direction in her life that perhaps

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she wouldn't have been able to find before

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and she's an extremely gifted young girl

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and has obviously got great talent in looking after the horse

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which perhaps, if she hadn't met Monty

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and hadn't wanted to help Monty and to groom Monty

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and look after Monty, perhaps she'd never have discovered that talent.

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In July 2012, Amy started working full-time as a groom at the centre.

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I just, I can't leave this place.

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It's helped me out that much that I had to keep coming back.

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And obviously see this guy.

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Good boy.

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Good boy.

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Back in Salford,

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dog control officers Will Harris and Erica Eaton have been concerned

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about the welfare of two dogs that live at a scrap-yard.

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One is a husky they've found multiple times

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roaming the streets on his own.

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The other, they think, may be a pit-bull.

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I think it's a potential of type.

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Because dangerous dogs fall under the remit of the police,

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-Will and Erica immediately informed them.

-He needs more water.

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They have now assessed the suspected pit-bull

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and confirmed that it was not a banned breed.

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However, during their visit,

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the husky made it's fourth escape attempt.

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We've just took a call for roaming dog in the M6 area.

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We believe it to be a male husky.

0:19:010:19:03

Given the description, we think it might be one we've had before.

0:19:030:19:07

He's a bit of a serial roamer so we're going to head up there

0:19:070:19:09

and see if it's him. We've had him...three times last week?

0:19:090:19:13

-Yes.

-Three times last week.

0:19:130:19:15

It's a Friday and Will and Erica need to find the dog before the end of the day,

0:19:150:19:19

otherwise it could be left out roaming all weekend.

0:19:190:19:22

Ace!

0:19:220:19:24

Ace!

0:19:260:19:27

SHE WHISTLES

0:19:270:19:29

It is the dog we thought it was, the husky.

0:19:290:19:32

Two times I've picked him up from here

0:19:320:19:34

so we thought he might be round here.

0:19:340:19:36

We're just looking round for him,

0:19:360:19:38

but normally if you shout him, he comes running, so...

0:19:380:19:40

We'll have a look around, see if he's about.

0:19:410:19:44

Ace!

0:19:440:19:45

SHE WHISTLES

0:19:450:19:48

The husky?

0:19:480:19:49

Has he gone that way? Cheers.

0:19:500:19:52

Ace!

0:19:530:19:54

SHE WHISTLES

0:19:540:19:56

He lives in the local scrap-yard which...

0:19:580:20:00

..in my own personal opinion, it's not the best place for him.

0:20:010:20:04

Husky?

0:20:060:20:07

Like a reddish colour, reddy-brown.

0:20:070:20:09

This way?

0:20:110:20:12

All right, thank you.

0:20:120:20:14

Ace! SHE WHISTLES

0:20:150:20:18

Yeah, a husky.

0:20:180:20:19

-He went up there, but...

-All right, thank you.

0:20:190:20:22

Everybody's seen him apart from us.

0:20:220:20:23

There's a bit of confusion over the dog's actual name.

0:20:230:20:26

They've called us he's called Ace, they've told us he's called Buddy.

0:20:270:20:31

Erm...there was another name, I can't remember now.

0:20:310:20:34

Buddy!

0:20:380:20:40

Buddy!

0:20:430:20:45

I'd hate for something to happen to him

0:20:450:20:47

because the roads are so busy round here.

0:20:470:20:49

I don't know if he's actually got any road sense.

0:20:500:20:53

Each time the husky has been found by the dog control officers

0:20:550:20:58

and taken to the kennels,

0:20:580:21:00

he's been collected by someone on behalf of the owner.

0:21:000:21:04

Well, there's a bit of confusion with regards to ownership

0:21:040:21:06

because every time we've had him,

0:21:060:21:09

he's picked him up and paid the money, the fee for claiming him.

0:21:090:21:14

But then says he doesn't belong to him

0:21:140:21:16

so when I've questioned as to where the actual owner is,

0:21:160:21:20

first off he tells me the owner was on holiday,

0:21:200:21:23

then he tells me the owner was in Bedfordshire, because that's where they live, apparently.

0:21:230:21:29

And then he tells me the owner's in hospital with blood pressure.

0:21:290:21:32

And now apparently the owner's in Bedfordshire again

0:21:340:21:36

so you don't know what to believe, do you?

0:21:360:21:39

A roaming dog in a public place is classed as a stray.

0:21:390:21:43

So it automatically comes under the control of the council.

0:21:430:21:46

But the afternoon is drawing in and it's not looking good.

0:21:460:21:50

Buddy!

0:21:500:21:52

I really hope that someone's taken that dog in.

0:21:520:21:55

I'm concerned he's hurt.

0:21:550:21:57

He could be anywhere now.

0:21:590:22:01

If he's hurt, he could be lying in the bushes or something.

0:22:030:22:06

It's going to be by chance that someone finds him,

0:22:060:22:09

unless someone has taken him in.

0:22:090:22:10

I want to go back to the yard.

0:22:100:22:11

-OK.

-I want to go back to the yard.

0:22:130:22:14

But on their way back to the scrap-yard,

0:22:190:22:21

they get the call they've been waiting for.

0:22:210:22:23

A family have a husky fitting his description in their front garden.

0:22:230:22:27

Hello. Come on, Buddy. Oh, is he tied up?

0:22:280:22:32

Sorry, I didn't realise he was tied up.

0:22:320:22:34

Hiya, mate. Hiya, have you missed me, Buddy? Oh, there we go.

0:22:340:22:38

-BOY:

-So, has it got an owner?

-Yeah, yeah.

0:22:380:22:40

-MOTHER:

-Does his owner not know he's missing?

-Yeah, yeah.

0:22:410:22:44

It might sound dead petty of me,

0:22:440:22:46

but...I want to make sure it gets reunited with its owners.

0:22:460:22:51

Erm, he...

0:22:510:22:52

In our personal view, he doesn't deserve to be back

0:22:520:22:55

-with his owners, he deserves a better home.

-OK.

0:22:550:22:58

I'm glad you're safe.

0:22:580:22:59

With only a few minutes until the end of their shift,

0:22:590:23:02

Erica and Will have finally tracked him down.

0:23:020:23:05

Dead chuffed, yeah, dead pleased.

0:23:070:23:09

I really thought the worst will have happened.

0:23:090:23:12

Erm... I'd have been out looking for him tonight, definitely.

0:23:120:23:15

Come on, mate.

0:23:150:23:16

The dog, known as Ace, Buddy or Blue,

0:23:160:23:19

is once again going to be taken to the place he knows well,

0:23:190:23:22

the council kennels.

0:23:220:23:24

Good boy. Let's get him back, get him sorted.

0:23:240:23:27

-CHILD:

-Where are you going with it?

0:23:270:23:29

We're going to take him to our kennels and look after them both.

0:23:290:23:32

-All right.

-Give him a nice bed, give him some food and some water.

0:23:320:23:36

Put the radio on, some nice music We'll put One Direction on for him.

0:23:360:23:39

Do you think he likes One Direction?

0:23:390:23:40

Er, I'm not entirely happy for...

0:23:410:23:43

..Blue to go back to his owner, or to the yard because

0:23:450:23:49

I know he's going to be out again and I know, if he's out again...

0:23:490:23:54

He could end up under the wheels of some dirty big HGV

0:23:540:23:56

driving down that road and that would break my heart.

0:23:560:23:59

It really would.

0:23:590:24:00

Later, we'll find out what the future holds for the husky.

0:24:030:24:06

Stay.

0:24:120:24:13

You'd always say, dogs are a man's best friend

0:24:180:24:21

but it doesn't even comprehend what Geo done for us.

0:24:210:24:24

Good boy.

0:24:250:24:27

Geo is a two-year-old German shepherd cross of Carly Riley

0:24:270:24:30

and her family from Clacton-on-Sea.

0:24:300:24:32

They got him when he was just a young pup

0:24:340:24:36

and it was a dream come true for eldest son, Charlie.

0:24:360:24:40

I wanted one for ages.

0:24:400:24:42

Charlie, yeah, he really, really wanted a dog,

0:24:420:24:45

but we thought if we got a puppy, he could grow up with him.

0:24:450:24:48

But we've always wanted one.

0:24:480:24:50

Well, we wanted a German shepherd

0:24:520:24:54

because we knew they were good with children and with families.

0:24:540:24:57

And we just planned to go and have a look at him

0:24:570:24:59

and see what he was like.

0:24:590:25:01

And the breeder just brought him out and it was love at first sight

0:25:010:25:04

so we just ended up coming home with him that day.

0:25:040:25:08

When I got home from school,

0:25:080:25:10

there was just this weird little puffball on the floor.

0:25:100:25:14

I was like, "What's that?"

0:25:140:25:15

And then it got up and started moving and then it jumped on me.

0:25:150:25:18

I got really excited, I wanted one for ages.

0:25:200:25:22

Young pup, Geo, quickly settled in with his new family.

0:25:230:25:27

He was brilliant with them from the beginning.

0:25:280:25:30

He just plays with them non-stop from the minute they wake up.

0:25:300:25:33

They run him round the house.

0:25:330:25:34

They do laps of the house running after each other, all of them.

0:25:340:25:38

I play ball with him with his ball and we throw it

0:25:390:25:42

and he, like, skids across the floor and head-butts the wall.

0:25:420:25:46

He's obsessed with all of the children, especially Charlie.

0:25:490:25:52

I mean, he's so protective.

0:25:520:25:55

He feels like my dog but Mum says he's a family dog.

0:25:550:25:58

When Geo was just over seven months old,

0:26:060:26:08

he proved to be more than just a family pet.

0:26:080:26:11

Just a normal day, I'd picked the children up from school,

0:26:120:26:15

we'd come back, get Geo and take him for a walk before dinner.

0:26:150:26:18

He's always been so good at roads, we just used to sit there,

0:26:180:26:22

we'd say sit and he'd just sit at a road so at the end of our road,

0:26:220:26:25

where there's a field, but you have to cross the main road to get to.

0:26:250:26:28

So it was just waiting there.

0:26:280:26:30

And then, suddenly, just this truck.

0:26:320:26:34

We heard it and I yelled to the boys to step back a bit from the kerb

0:26:340:26:38

and suddenly it just mounted the kerb.

0:26:380:26:41

Carly was holding the hands of her two younger boys.

0:26:430:26:46

I pulled my two youngest back and just hollered at Charlie

0:26:460:26:49

because he was a little bit away, to move.

0:26:490:26:51

12-year-old Charlie was standing on the pavement

0:26:520:26:55

and the truck was heading straight for him.

0:26:550:26:58

My first thought was obviously Charlie

0:26:580:26:59

because I knew the other two were safe

0:26:590:27:01

because I'd got them out the way

0:27:010:27:03

and literally, I just thought Charlie would be hit.

0:27:030:27:06

I just thought my son would be dead, it was horrific.

0:27:060:27:10

Not even worth thinking about, it's horrible.

0:27:100:27:12

With eldest son Charlie too far out of her reach,

0:27:120:27:15

Carly could only stand and watch.

0:27:150:27:18

But their young dog, Geo, took action.

0:27:180:27:20

Geo had got up on his hind legs

0:27:210:27:24

and with his front paws he'd pushed Charlie on his chest

0:27:240:27:27

backwards away from the road.

0:27:270:27:28

He'd actually pushed him with such force,

0:27:280:27:30

Charlie had scratch marks on his chest

0:27:300:27:32

where Geo had just literally shoved him out of the way of the truck.

0:27:320:27:36

It felt like someone was head-butting me,

0:27:360:27:38

but it was actually my dog pushing me

0:27:380:27:40

and I bashed my back on the floor and I had a bruise on there.

0:27:400:27:45

But Geo's quick reactions to save Charlie put himself in danger.

0:27:450:27:48

Charlie was out of the way and the truck was still on the path

0:27:500:27:54

and it just came and got Geo.

0:27:540:27:56

The truck went back onto the path and then ran over Geo again

0:27:560:27:59

while he was laying in the road.

0:27:590:28:01

And the truck just drove off, didn't even slow down.

0:28:010:28:04

Nothing, not even to check that it was Charlie he'd hit or the dog,

0:28:040:28:07

he just drove off.

0:28:070:28:09

I was really upset. I felt like he was going to die.

0:28:110:28:15

And I was never going to see him again.

0:28:150:28:16

It was like a pick-up truck with the open back

0:28:180:28:20

so it was quite a big, hefty truck to get hit by.

0:28:200:28:24

After the impact, Geo was actually lying in the middle of the road.

0:28:240:28:26

Without even a thought, I just ran in the middle of the road and sat with him,

0:28:260:28:29

like cars still coming, they're just driving by you,

0:28:290:28:32

until one of them stopped and literally cordoned off the road.

0:28:320:28:35

He was still awake and that in the road

0:28:350:28:38

but I thought he was going to die

0:28:380:28:39

because he wasn't moving or anything.

0:28:390:28:42

That's why I told them to face the other way

0:28:420:28:43

because I didn't want my children to see their pet die in front of them.

0:28:430:28:47

It felt really upsetting because, like, we just got him

0:28:480:28:51

when he was a pup and, like, we'd had him for a year

0:28:510:28:55

and he just fitted in like a part of the family.

0:28:550:28:58

It was awful, I was in absolute floods of tears,

0:28:580:29:01

the children were screaming their heads off. It was absolutely awful.

0:29:010:29:04

Just to think, I thought I was comforting him to die.

0:29:040:29:07

I was really frightened, I thought I was going to lose my best friend.

0:29:100:29:13

Luckily a couple of neighbours up the road

0:29:150:29:18

had actually heard the impact from in their house and heard Geo's yelp

0:29:180:29:22

and they'd come running out and helped me with him

0:29:220:29:24

and they put him in the back of a van and they took me up to the vet's with him.

0:29:240:29:28

I had a lot of thoughts driving from my work to the vet's,

0:29:280:29:32

you know, making sure the kids were all right, not actually

0:29:320:29:35

knowing exactly what had happened, I was like, sort of, panicky and...

0:29:350:29:41

Then when I got there and I saw my three boys,

0:29:410:29:44

they were all right, and my wife.

0:29:440:29:47

And then my attention straightaway turned to Geo

0:29:470:29:49

and saw the condition he was in. He looked really, really bad.

0:29:490:29:54

He couldn't move, he was just laying there.

0:29:540:29:56

You could tell he was in a lot of pain because he was whimpering.

0:29:560:30:01

DOG WHINING

0:30:010:30:03

-He wasn't well at all.

-They did some X-rays

0:30:050:30:09

and really looked after him but they said he needed a specialist

0:30:090:30:12

because they thought he'd broken his back.

0:30:120:30:15

The family took the decision to drive Geo 70 miles away

0:30:160:30:19

to see a specialist vet in Newmarket.

0:30:190:30:22

The vet actually did tell us that it was touch and go.

0:30:230:30:26

He did advise us that he couldn't guarantee that Geo would come through it fine

0:30:260:30:31

and it wasn't until we was actually leaving the vet's

0:30:310:30:33

that night because we'd had to leave him there

0:30:330:30:35

and on our way home they actually rang and said, look,

0:30:350:30:37

were we committed to it because it was going to cost a fortune

0:30:370:30:40

and there wasn't any guarantee...

0:30:400:30:42

Geo had fractured his spine, his leg and had damaged his internal organs.

0:30:430:30:48

Didn't think he'd survive at all.

0:30:490:30:51

Even at the vet's that we went to, the second vet's, they said

0:30:510:30:55

that if he was old, an older dog, he wouldn't have survived it.

0:30:550:30:57

The family had pet insurance,

0:30:590:31:00

but that was only going to cover a fraction of the bills.

0:31:000:31:04

There was no way we was going to let him down, it was...

0:31:050:31:08

It was a given that we would do anything we could for him

0:31:080:31:11

so there wasn't a question in my mind that I wouldn't have helped him.

0:31:110:31:14

Geo went through two and a half weeks of care at the vet's

0:31:140:31:17

and then had weekly hydrotherapy sessions.

0:31:170:31:20

He was over the worst, but there was no knowing

0:31:230:31:25

if he would ever make a full recovery from his injuries.

0:31:250:31:29

We can't actually walk Geo down the road any more,

0:31:320:31:35

we have to take him in the car to the field we used to take him to

0:31:350:31:38

because he just absolutely freaks out at the road.

0:31:380:31:41

Any road now, Geo is just...

0:31:410:31:43

He absolutely goes mad, tries to get away and cowers and barks.

0:31:430:31:48

He just doesn't like them at all.

0:31:480:31:50

What he's been through, you can't really blame him, bless him.

0:31:500:31:53

The family's determination to save Geo came at a cost.

0:31:560:32:00

To start with, the original vet bill was 17,000.

0:32:000:32:03

After he had a lot of publicity,

0:32:030:32:06

they've agreed to put it down to 8,500.

0:32:060:32:09

We had 3,000 insurance and the rest we're paying in instalments,

0:32:100:32:16

still, to this day.

0:32:160:32:18

Yeah, he's worth every penny.

0:32:190:32:22

He's our family, that's it. Geo's just...he's amazing.

0:32:220:32:27

Geo's since been given two awards for bravery.

0:32:310:32:34

Oh, we're very proud of Geo, yeah. He's just brilliant.

0:32:340:32:38

Everyone's always commenting on him, they recognise him everywhere.

0:32:380:32:42

To actually put himself in harm's way to actually save his owner,

0:32:420:32:46

I would never have thought,

0:32:460:32:48

not in a million years that he would have done that.

0:32:480:32:50

He has a bond with all of them the same but since the accident,

0:32:520:32:55

he is very protective of Charlie.

0:32:550:32:57

He is with all the children and me

0:32:570:32:59

but he's got a special little soft spot for Charlie, I think, yes.

0:32:590:33:03

Geo is the best dog I've ever had and he's the best in the world.

0:33:100:33:15

I'm very thankful for what he did to me, he saved my life.

0:33:170:33:20

I think he's our hero. The kids call him, Geo the Hero.

0:33:210:33:26

He's everything, I can't believe what he done, it was so selfless.

0:33:260:33:30

Back in Salford, dog control officers Will Harris and Erica Eaton

0:33:390:33:43

have had a husky in the kennels for two days now.

0:33:430:33:46

He lived at a scrap-yard but had been found roaming on his own

0:33:480:33:51

not once, but four times over the last two weeks.

0:33:510:33:55

-Buddy!

-And was in danger of getting seriously injured.

0:33:550:33:58

I'd hate for something to happen to him

0:33:580:34:00

because the roads are so busy round here.

0:34:000:34:02

I don't know if he's actually got any road sense.

0:34:040:34:06

Because they're responsible for the welfare of all animals in their borough,

0:34:120:34:16

Will and Erica now have real concerns about handing over the dog again.

0:34:160:34:19

And Erica has started to get attached.

0:34:210:34:24

He's my best friend now, aren't you, Blue? Eh?

0:34:240:34:27

We've bonded, haven't we, mate?

0:34:270:34:30

Yes. He smiles at me when I come over in the morning.

0:34:300:34:33

When I shout, "Where's me boy?"

0:34:340:34:37

Don't you, eh?

0:34:370:34:38

As you can see, he's really aggressive.

0:34:400:34:42

SHE GIGGLES

0:34:420:34:44

Aren't you? Oh. Oh, Blue.

0:34:450:34:48

He's absolutely gorgeous.

0:34:500:34:52

Such a shame.

0:34:540:34:55

We have actually had him now for two days.

0:34:570:34:59

His owner hasn't been in touch so we've contacted him.

0:34:590:35:04

We've spoken to him and he's agreed to sign the husky over to us.

0:35:040:35:08

Erica has made best efforts to ensure the owner is who he says he is.

0:35:090:35:14

If he turns up to sign the dog over,

0:35:140:35:16

he will no longer have any legal right to him.

0:35:160:35:18

The council will have sole responsibility.

0:35:180:35:21

How can you not love that face?

0:35:220:35:24

Some of them just get to you more than others and I think it's the fact

0:35:240:35:28

that he was living in a scrap-yard and he had no kind of life.

0:35:280:35:32

He was just left in the yard. I mean, don't get me wrong,

0:35:320:35:35

his owners probably loved him in their own way.

0:35:350:35:39

But they couldn't give him the attention that he needs.

0:35:390:35:43

Yes. All right, I'll hold your paw.

0:35:430:35:47

Come here.

0:35:470:35:48

As suspected, the owner doesn't make an appearance.

0:35:480:35:51

He's sent a family member to sign the dog over for him.

0:35:510:35:54

Hiya, erm, sorry about that. Which one of you's signing for him? Right.

0:35:540:35:59

All this is, is just to say,

0:35:590:36:02

that's the reason why he's being given a rescue space is

0:36:020:36:05

because he keeps escaping, he lives in the yard,

0:36:050:36:08

it's not great living conditions for the dog.

0:36:080:36:10

This just says that yourself relinquish any rights to the dog

0:36:100:36:14

and hand over responsibility to Salford City Council which is us.

0:36:140:36:17

-That's great, that's it, all sorted. All right then.

-Thank you very much.

0:36:200:36:23

-No problem.

-Thank you.

0:36:230:36:25

-Have a good day.

-You too.

-Thank you, see you.

0:36:250:36:28

-Thank you.

-Thanks. See ya.

-See ya, bye.

0:36:280:36:32

Even though the dog now belongs to the council, they can't keep him.

0:36:340:36:38

By law, they're only required to house a dog for seven days

0:36:380:36:42

and they don't have the facilities to do more.

0:36:420:36:44

Where's my kiss? Thank you.

0:36:460:36:48

I know what you want, don't you? Come on.

0:36:480:36:51

Blue... Oi! Come here.

0:36:510:36:53

Not want it now?

0:36:570:36:58

Not many dogs you could do that with.

0:37:060:37:08

Normal practise would be to take the dog to a rescue centre

0:37:140:37:17

and hope that it gets re-homed.

0:37:170:37:19

But in this case, Erica has personally arranged for him

0:37:190:37:22

to go straight to a temporary foster home.

0:37:220:37:25

-Erica.

-Hi, Erica.

-This is my partner-in-crime, Will.

-Hi, Will.

0:37:260:37:30

-Pleased to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

0:37:300:37:32

-Do you want to come over and see him?

-Yes, please.

0:37:320:37:35

-I'd like to see him once he's had a bath.

-How long has he been with you?

0:37:350:37:37

Er, on and off now for two weeks.

0:37:370:37:41

This time he's been with us since Tuesday.

0:37:410:37:44

Erm... So we've got to know him a little bit and what he likes and stuff, yeah.

0:37:440:37:49

He's lovely.

0:37:490:37:51

Erica has found a charity what specifically rescues huskies,

0:37:510:37:55

placing them in foster homes before finding them permanent ones.

0:37:550:37:58

Where's me boy?

0:37:590:38:01

-Hello, sweetie.

-My boy.

-Hello.

0:38:010:38:06

-Oh, you're gorgeous.

-Isn't he lovely?

0:38:060:38:08

Hello, darling. Oh, you're beautiful.

0:38:100:38:14

Really beautiful.

0:38:140:38:17

Are you going, boy? Are you going? Yeah, I know, all right...

0:38:170:38:22

Oh, giving you kisses.

0:38:220:38:24

-You all right? We'll keep you updated, I promise.

-Erica.

0:38:250:38:28

SHE LAUGHS

0:38:280:38:31

Come on, we're going now. Can I have a kiss? Kiss?

0:38:310:38:34

Good boy. Good lad.

0:38:350:38:36

Yeah, it is really hard not to get involved with the dogs

0:38:420:38:45

and nine times out of ten, I do. I cry quite often.

0:38:450:38:49

Not because there's something wrong with the dog

0:38:490:38:51

or it's not a happy ending.

0:38:510:38:53

If an owner comes to claim the dog, and they get upset,

0:38:530:38:56

I get upset with them.

0:38:560:38:58

It's just part and parcel of the job and, to be honest,

0:38:580:39:01

I wouldn't change it.

0:39:010:39:04

It shows that we care.

0:39:040:39:06

Hey? Blue?

0:39:060:39:07

I need that, mate.

0:39:090:39:10

You all right?

0:39:140:39:15

SHE LAUGHS

0:39:170:39:19

I know I can speak on Erica's behalf.

0:39:260:39:29

I know she's going to bawl her eyes out

0:39:290:39:31

but Erica, I know, is absolutely delighted.

0:39:310:39:34

Just nod your head.

0:39:340:39:35

Yeah. We're so pleased. Erm...

0:39:360:39:39

We've made a dog very, very happy even though he can't tell us,

0:39:390:39:43

we've made him happy.

0:39:430:39:44

And that's the beauty of this job.

0:39:440:39:46

Come on, there's one more waiting for us round the corner.

0:39:520:39:55

Let's go.

0:39:550:39:56

Here we are, Blue. Here we are.

0:40:000:40:03

-A new mum and dad.

-The husky's new home is with a couple in Sheffield.

0:40:030:40:07

Let's go meet them. Good boy.

0:40:080:40:11

-Hello.

-This is Blue.

-Hello.

0:40:110:40:15

-Is he all right to come in?

-Yeah, he's all right to come in,

0:40:150:40:17

really just into the room.

0:40:170:40:19

Here, Blue, this way. Come on, Blue.

0:40:190:40:22

Where are you, eh?

0:40:230:40:25

-Come here. He's very, very mucky.

-Is he?

-Blue?

0:40:260:40:29

He's been living in a scrap-yard so he's pretty dirty

0:40:330:40:36

and he needs a good brush.

0:40:360:40:37

Living in a house instead of a scrap-yard

0:40:390:40:42

will take some getting used to.

0:40:420:40:43

Hey?

0:40:450:40:46

We don't even know if he's been in a house before, do we?

0:40:490:40:52

Might never have been in a house, if he been kept at a scrap-yard.

0:40:520:40:56

Come on.

0:40:560:40:57

Well, Rob's one of our fosters

0:41:000:41:02

and all dogs that we have no history on

0:41:020:41:05

that have come from dog wardens or pounds have to be assessed,

0:41:050:41:09

obviously for safety reasons we wouldn't out them in a family home

0:41:090:41:12

with children in case they bite or they show any signs of aggression.

0:41:120:41:18

So Rob and his wife, Carly,

0:41:180:41:19

will spend the next four weeks putting him in different situations,

0:41:190:41:23

gradually introducing him to children,

0:41:230:41:26

getting used to being on a lead and then when they're satisfied that

0:41:260:41:29

he's safe to be re-homed, we then look for a "forever" home for him.

0:41:290:41:33

But I'm sure, he's so beautiful, people will be fighting over him.

0:41:340:41:38

He'll have no problems getting homed. He's gorgeous.

0:41:380:41:40

Come on. Good boy.

0:41:400:41:42

The dog will be sharing his foster home with another husky,

0:41:440:41:47

a female, so it's important to find out if they're going to get on.

0:41:470:41:51

Lots of wagging tails, that's a good sign.

0:41:530:41:56

Hello.

0:41:570:41:59

-SNARLING

-Hey, hey...

0:41:590:42:01

Play nicely.

0:42:010:42:03

-Come on.

-The two dogs are curious of each other.

0:42:050:42:08

But it doesn't take long for them to settle down.

0:42:090:42:12

They'll get on together like a house on fire, I think.

0:42:150:42:18

Erica and Will have been back to visit Missy,

0:42:270:42:29

the underweight exempt pit-bull.

0:42:290:42:32

Although she's not yet at her ideal weight,

0:42:320:42:34

they're happy that she's much healthier

0:42:340:42:36

and will continue to keep an eye on her.

0:42:360:42:38

The dog kept at the scrap-yard has also been revisited

0:42:390:42:42

and they're now happy that it's being looked after properly.

0:42:420:42:45

And Blue the husky has now been renamed Bear.

0:42:470:42:50

He's formed a close bond with Rio, the female husky at his foster home

0:42:500:42:54

and his carers are now hoping to adopt him permanently.

0:42:540:42:57

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