- 17 hours ago
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00I'm Pete Wicks, I've been helping out at Dogs Trust a while now and I'm already starting to
00:14look like part of the furniture. So far there's been challenging times. I imagine they're
00:22terrified. We need to do the surgery otherwise she'd struggle to be mobile at all. She's a baby
00:28as well as heartwarming ones. It's just so nice to see him like this. Hello baby. It's just been an
00:35amazing day. And this week's no exception. Hi baby. As the team and I do everything in our power. She's
00:43still got the rest of her life to live. To help our four-legged friends. It's a secret mission. I would
00:47love to come. Love you. Love you. I've got something special for you.
00:58Today I'm starting off in my home away from home, Basildon, where Lisa's asked me to help
01:12her out with something. Lisa. Hi, you alright? Why are you not in uniform? Well, you know we
01:19help dogs that are in quarantine. We've been asked to go and pick some dogs up today. So
01:23because we can't have staff associated with the location, civvies. It's a secret mission.
01:30You and your civvies? In my civvies. Do you want to come along? I would love to come. Yeah?
01:34Shall we go? I'm ready now. Dogs Trust acts as the first responders for dogs illegally smuggled
01:40into the country and seized at the border. Ready? Yep. After spending a mandatory six weeks
01:46in quarantine kennels, the dogs have nowhere else to go. What do we know about the dogs that
01:52we're going to pick up? They're desirable breeds. There's a little pom, a cavalier and
01:56a poodle. They were underage when they came in. Sought-after breeds can have a street value
02:01of thousands, but the gangs that smuggle them in have no care for the damage that separating
02:06a young puppy from its mum too soon can do. How traumatic is it for them? Yeah, I think
02:12it's about as bad as it gets really. It's like a small crate in back of vans, travelling,
02:17young puppies as young as four weeks old, travelling for 30 hours without any food or water.
02:22Puppy smuggling is something quite close to home for me. So, Eric was smuggling my dog,
02:29and I know when he came across, he was in quite bad conditions with his brother and sister,
02:35and his sister had unfortunately passed away on the journey. And Eric and his brother had
02:39horrendous skin conditions. Could you imagine the trauma that little Eric went through? It's
02:43just heartbreaking. With this kind of animal cruelty being so lucrative, criminal gangs
02:49will stop at nothing to steal them back. Crates in the back. Yeah, we should have little
02:54beds in there for the guys. So, to protect the quarantine kennel's location, we're swapping
02:59into an unmarked car. Right, we're here. So, if you don't mind waiting, I'll go find out
03:04what's why. Is that all right? Yeah, thanks to Pete. I am quite nervous about the whole thing,
03:10because I don't know what condition they're going to be in and how they are. We don't
03:13know anything about them really. It just sounds so horrific and traumatic. For their own safety,
03:19the staff here will remain anonymous. He's tiny. He's very tiny. What have you been through? Hello,
03:31baby. Hello, baby. A little jumpy. Yeah, we're very nervous. Before we take them back, Lisa
03:40wants to assess them out in the open. Hello, buddy. Starting with the poodle pup and the
03:48spaniel. Hello, baby. Who were travelling together in a tiny cage all the way from Poland. What's
03:54their story with these two? These two were seized together, coming in over Doverport,
04:00and there was suspicion of them being under the actual age they were meant to be for coming
04:04into the UK. Despite their rough start in life, it's obvious these pups are resilient. You
04:10would look at them and you would think, those are great puppies, so no kind of signs of,
04:15why they've had a terrible start. And actually, behind that, who knows what's happened to them.
04:22This is the start of your new life then, boys. So you need some names? Need some names? Got
04:27any ideas? I mean, the other little one was very jumpy. Yeah. So I immediately fall Tigger.
04:34So then, hello, puppy. What if we have Eeyore? Yeah. And what about Piglet? It's really cute.
04:45They're the poo puppies. That's really cute. Oh, you're ready. You've got, you're ready to go.
04:50Piglet, have you got your lead? Are you ready to go? The lead's bigger than you.
04:55With Eeyore and Piglet raring to go, it's time to check the last of the trio, little Tigger.
05:01Oh. Tigger! Baby, Tigger! He seems tiny. Apparently, according to his paperwork,
05:09he should have roughly been about 22 weeks old. They believe he was about eight. Wow.
05:16Do you have any idea of where he travelled from? From Bulgaria. So that's several hours
05:21and eight weeks old. He's still missing his mum, still missing his siblings. Yeah. Oh, puppy.
05:26We're lucky that these guys are... These guys look great. Look great.
05:30Right. Shall we get him on the road? Yeah. Come then, Tigger. Come on then, buddy.
05:35Oh. You can just go in the glove box. Oh, buddy. It's been stressful. It's been nerve-wracking.
05:47But I'm just really pleased that all three puppies seem to be doing well.
05:51You know now they're fully, fully safe. This is literally the beginning. This is the start
05:56from this moment onwards.
06:01It's not always the case, though, that dogs are brought in because they haven't been loved.
06:06Oh, girl, if you never try, you'll never know...
06:11Sometimes, they've been loved their whole lives.
06:16Isola is in Leeds with her elderly dog, Paige,
06:19who she's had since she was a puppy.
06:22Hello, my love. How are you? I'm Pete.
06:25But due to ill health... Hello, Paige.
06:27..can no longer give her the care that she needs.
06:30How long have you had, Paige? 15 years. 15 years? Mm.
06:34Oh, you're an old girl. Yeah.
06:37Got when she was eight weeks old. So she's kind of been with you since a puppy.
06:41Yeah, yeah. So it's a really difficult... Yeah, it is.
06:44It's going to be a big loss. Lovely dogs, lovely memories.
06:47Yeah. I took her everywhere.
06:49When I've not been well, she's been really, really attentive,
06:52which has been really nice.
06:54And I think it's coming to terms with the fact that I can't do it.
06:58I'm really sorry to hear that. Yeah.
07:01It's a really tough decision. Yeah, it is a tough decision.
07:04This is just the best thing for me to do.
07:07You obviously love her so much, but... Mm.
07:10She just wants to enjoy the rest of her life.
07:13You need a brave thing to do.
07:21For a while there, it was rough.
07:24But lately I've been doing better.
07:28Is she going to be great?
07:29Yeah, she is.
07:30I know she is.
07:33She's had her since she was eight weeks old.
07:35You know, they've had over 14 years together.
07:37She said she was like her little shadow.
07:39Do you want to say goodbye?
07:40Yeah. Bye, babe.
07:42It's really tough. Like, that would break my heart.
07:45You know, the dog's been in her life for such a long time.
07:49This way, darling. Come on, puppy.
07:54It takes a lot of courage.
07:55I think it's very brave for her to be able to do that.
07:58But she's made the right decision.
08:00She seems like a lovely little dog.
08:02Thank God every day
08:05For the girl he sent my way
08:08Although rehoming elderly dogs can sometimes be challenging,
08:12Paige is now in the best possible place for her chance
08:15to find someone who loves her just as much.
08:17In Basildon, though, six puppies have just been handed in.
08:24Although they appear to be healthy,
08:28they were handed over with their mum
08:31Who's in one of the worst states they've ever seen.
08:35And showing clear signs of starvation.
08:41Staff have named her Keira.
08:56I'm heading down there as fast as I can.
08:59Oh, God, I need these beautiful things that I've got.
09:07You all right, Lisa?
09:08Hello, Pete.
09:09Where's my... Oh, she's at the back.
09:11She's at the back.
09:12Oh, wow.
09:14Hey.
09:15Oh.
09:16Oh, Keira.
09:18Oh, he's so cute.
09:19Oh, darling.
09:21Wow.
09:23Are you OK?
09:24Hello, puppy.
09:25Well, she's in a real state.
09:26Yeah, she's really hungry.
09:28Like, she's ravenously hungry.
09:29So, she's been incredibly neglected.
09:31Yeah.
09:32She's literally skin and bones.
09:33Yeah.
09:34She's not eaten properly for a long time.
09:35Correct.
09:36And if these are only three or four weeks old,
09:38she's incredibly underweight when she actually had birth.
09:40Probably.
09:41Honestly, it broke my heart when she came in.
09:43Sorry.
09:44And the puppy's actually looking in pretty good health.
09:45So, they have literally just taken everything from her.
09:48And she's just given them everything.
09:50She could easily have died.
09:53Just even feeding her is just heartbreaking, isn't it?
09:56Yeah, it is.
09:57She's so sweet.
09:58Hello, darling.
09:59And, you know, and it's just testament that, you know,
10:01everything that humans do to these dogs,
10:03they just still are so trusting.
10:05Friends, I love you too.
10:07You do.
10:08This one's upset you, hasn't it?
10:09It has.
10:10Yeah, it really has.
10:11Because there isn't really an excuse.
10:13How long is it going to take before she's at full capacity weight-wise?
10:17It would be weeks.
10:18Weeks of recovery.
10:19We need to be a bit careful that we don't overfeed her,
10:21because that can cause medical problems.
10:23So, Charlotte's working on a feeding plan for, isn't she?
10:27That was a lot.
10:30You never want to see any kind of dog in that sort of state.
10:35Not only could we have lost Kira,
10:38those puppies wouldn't be her either.
10:41How she's managed to bring up six puppies,
10:45you seem pretty healthy, pretty lively.
10:47It's a miracle.
10:49I kind of feel like she's being so loving,
10:54because she knows people are here to help.
10:56And sometimes you can't explain it to some dogs,
10:58but sometimes they just know.
10:59I feel like it's one of them situations
11:01where you kind of look at her,
11:03and she was probably towards the end of hope.
11:19In Basildon, everyone's hard at work.
11:26Is that filming you?
11:28Yeah.
11:29Oh, so it's got us gas bagging in the back.
11:31Yeah, nice.
11:32It's all normal.
11:33No, no, no.
11:34Honestly, it's all normal, isn't it?
11:35It's your day-to-day life, so...
11:37We always like having a chat, don't we?
11:40Including me.
11:42What a lovely side.
11:44Always happy to help.
11:46Anything else that they's doing?
11:47And after their first night in the puppy block,
11:50the hard work starts with my quarantine pups.
11:54Hi, nice to meet you too.
11:56Night, maybe we could go dance, get up off our feet.
12:00As we know so little about their lives
12:02or what they've been through,
12:04the team need to start assessing them
12:06before they can get the all clear
12:08and go up for rehoming.
12:10I've got something special for you.
12:11What have you got?
12:12Oh!
12:13And the first step is a vet check with James and Charlotte.
12:17Guys, I'd like you to meet Tigger.
12:19Ah!
12:20So, I mean, he's a Pomeranian.
12:22Is there anything specifically that you would be looking at differently
12:25because he's a Pomeranian?
12:26Because it's a...
12:27Yeah, they can be prone to heart problems, but his heart sounds fine.
12:29Sounds fine.
12:30Looks all good.
12:31Looks all good.
12:32Looks all good.
12:33It's a relief to hear Tigger's doing well.
12:35Oh, you know you look good.
12:37All right, I'm going to get him back then
12:39and I'll go and get the other two, yeah?
12:41Next up is Eeyore.
12:44Just looking at his heart, yeah?
12:46Yeah.
12:47All fine.
12:48Well done, my little floof.
12:49What was that?
12:50He's got very cold hands.
12:51Warm them up.
12:52Sorry.
12:53Shall we swap?
12:54Yeah.
12:55So, this is Piglet.
12:56What is quite typical in terms of health problems for Cavaliers?
12:59Commonest one tends to be the heart.
13:01They can be prone to neurological problems as well.
13:04Oh, yeah.
13:05All good at the moment.
13:07Piglet, you're fine.
13:08What's that?
13:09He said thank you.
13:10Oh, that's all right.
13:11All good for all three.
13:14After such a rough start,
13:16it's great to see all three puppies get a clean bill of health.
13:19She said, oh, hi, nice to meet you too.
13:23Night, maybe we could go.
13:26Let's get up off our feet.
13:27But for seriously underweight Kira,
13:29the situation is much more critical.
13:32Isn't that exciting?
13:34Since arriving, she's been put on an urgent feeding plan
13:38to try and help her gain weight.
13:40She's very hungry.
13:41But she can only be fed little and often
13:44because if a malnourished dog eats too much,
13:47it can lead to refeeding syndrome,
13:50a potentially life-threatening condition
13:52that can result in complete organ failure.
13:57All right, Charlotte.
13:58Hi, Pete.
13:59Hi, Kira.
14:00Can I come in?
14:01Yeah, come in.
14:02Hello, darling.
14:03Oh, God.
14:04How are you, darling?
14:05Are you OK, Kira?
14:06You're getting too overexcited.
14:08She's so beautiful, isn't she?
14:10She is lovely.
14:11But she looks bad.
14:12Yeah, it's awful.
14:13My first thing was, oh, she's been seized, is she?
14:15And they was like, no, she's a handover.
14:17That is shocking to me.
14:18I thought she'd been roaming the streets for weeks.
14:21Yeah.
14:22Feeding these puppies.
14:23But no, she's been living in a home like this.
14:25I don't know what the situation was in that house,
14:28but she was being starved to death.
14:30This could have been critical.
14:31Yeah.
14:32I mean, you can see what a good mum she is.
14:35As soon as mum gets in that bed,
14:36they're all straight to the old mummy bar.
14:38Yeah.
14:39I mean, I'm surprised that she is as bright and alert as she is
14:44because she's surviving on nothing
14:46and she's feeding six puppies.
14:48Kind of like a miracle mum in a minute.
14:50Yeah.
14:51In terms of grading, how bad her body condition is,
14:53what would you say?
14:54Because it's normally done out of...?
14:55So it's one to nine.
14:56One to nine.
14:57Nine being morbidly obese.
14:59Yeah.
15:00One being skin and bone.
15:01Yeah.
15:02She's a one.
15:03Yeah.
15:04There's not much left of her.
15:06It doesn't get much worse than this.
15:07No.
15:08And she just looks gaunt in her face.
15:09You can see the shape of her skull.
15:11But that takes a long time to, you know,
15:13start losing the fat on your face
15:16and to get that gaunt look.
15:18Considering the shocking condition she's in,
15:21she's such a beautiful girl, though, isn't she?
15:23Yeah, she's lovely.
15:24You're so lovely.
15:25I know you are, babe.
15:26As well as being severely underweight,
15:29unfortunately, Kira has another problem.
15:31I mean, there's obviously some sort of lump on the back end.
15:36Do you have any idea what that could be?
15:37I would never like to say,
15:39so we'll send it for histology to find out for sure.
15:41Would that be done as a kind of a matter of urgency as well?
15:43That's not her biggest problem at the moment.
15:45The body condition is the biggest problem,
15:47and she is still feeding puppies as well,
15:49so we really need to focus on that.
15:51Also, if we were to put her under a general anaesthetic now,
15:53that would be really risky at her current body condition.
15:56I know, babe.
15:58You're gonna be okay.
16:00You just need a little bit of love.
16:08For Kira, it's a case of taking things slowly.
16:13But back in Leeds,
16:15hopefully it'll be a different story for 15-year-old Paige,
16:18and she'll be in a home in no time.
16:20Go on, Paige. Good girl.
16:22Handler Kevin and I are taking her to see vet nurse Sue
16:25for her very first vet check.
16:27Hello.
16:28Hello.
16:29This is Paige.
16:30Hello.
16:31And I understand she's an old girl.
16:33She's 15.
16:34Well...
16:35She looks great for 15, though.
16:36She does, actually.
16:37Look at her.
16:38Look at her little waggy tail.
16:39Hey, Paigey.
16:40Hello.
16:41Oh, good girl.
16:42What sort of thing would you be looking for,
16:45for a kind of a hand over a dog of this age?
16:47One of the first things that we would expect
16:49is some form of arthritis in one or more of the limbs.
16:52Yeah, you can notice that.
16:53When she's walking around.
16:54Yeah, you can notice that.
16:55Yeah, this one.
16:56She's definitely guard.
16:57She's not putting very much weight on that leg.
16:59But Paige is also showing signs of stress.
17:02Yeah, you can definitely notice that the legs are quite shaky.
17:05Yeah, she's very wobbling.
17:07She's very stressed.
17:08Her tail's down.
17:09She's panting.
17:10Also, if she is sore,
17:12she's not going to want a stranger prodding and poking her.
17:16Sue decides to cut her examination short
17:19and let Paige have a bit more time to settle in.
17:22We couldn't really do it today.
17:24It's not fair on her first visit when she's, you know,
17:27a bit stressed.
17:28They can prescribe some pain relief,
17:30make her more comfortable,
17:32and then we'll have another look at her in a week's time.
17:34And then kind of give her an assessment after she's kind of calm down.
17:37That's right.
17:38Our main job, first and foremost,
17:40is to make her comfortable and pain-free.
17:43Come on then, darling.
17:44Unfortunately for Paige,
17:46she can't go up for rehoming until she's had a vet check.
17:56But back in Basildon,
17:57the team are full steam ahead,
17:59assessing the quarantine pups
18:01to help find the perfect home for them.
18:03Hi, Piglet.
18:05Jordan and Charlie are using our old friend Gary
18:08to see what Piglet would be like in a home with other dogs.
18:11What's this, Piglet?
18:12Oh, good boy.
18:14Well done.
18:15That's so brave.
18:17So, in terms of body language and that, Jordan,
18:19how's he doing?
18:20He went straight up there?
18:21Yeah, I think he's done really well.
18:22For a puppy that's probably not had much exposure to stuff,
18:25he's a really well-rounded little dog.
18:27Little dog.
18:28In terms of assessing wires and rehoming,
18:30obviously you're fostering at the minute.
18:31Yep.
18:32Yep.
18:33So he is going to be up for rehoming soon.
18:34Yes.
18:35I'm going to be so sad to see him go.
18:37And Gemma and Cameron are seeing how Tigger copes being groomed.
18:41He's a Pom.
18:42They require a fair bit of grooming, doesn't they?
18:44Yep.
18:45So Cameron can give him some treats,
18:47brush him over his back,
18:49take a break, see what he does.
18:51Absolutely.
18:52Harry's on eating.
18:53I mean, in terms of kind of assessing him and that Gemma,
18:56he's not really struggled with anything, has he?
18:59No, he doesn't seem to be lacking in too much confidence at all.
19:02So this is it then, we could be finding you a home puppy.
19:06It's just the last puppy to go now, Poodle Eeyore,
19:10who Leanne is making sure feels comfortable out and about
19:14around dogs he's never met before.
19:16The plan is to bring a dog in that I know is good around other dogs.
19:20and just see what his response is at a bit of a distance.
19:23OK, let's see what happens then.
19:25Right on cue, here comes Teddy.
19:28I just want him to spot the dog.
19:30Spot the dog?
19:31Spot the dog.
19:32Really good books.
19:33Oh, they're a beautiful dog.
19:35You haven't noticed yet, have you?
19:37Oh, OK.
19:39Super vocal.
19:41So would you say this is pretty fixated?
19:43Very fixated on the other dog.
19:45Whilst he's doing this, you're not going to get any engagement from him.
19:48This is not ideal to be able to obviously put him up for rehoming
19:51because people are going to not be able to manage this out and about.
19:54Charlotte moves Teddy back to see if increasing the distance between them
19:58Good lads.
19:59will help Eeyore calm down.
20:01The dogs that are reactive to other dogs,
20:03it generally can be like a frustration or like a fear.
20:06Does this look like aggression to you or just frustration?
20:09I think it is just frustration, yeah.
20:11We don't want him just to keep practising this behaviour.
20:13Yeah.
20:14Because as he gets older, obviously it could turn into possible aggression as well.
20:19Until the team can work out what's triggering his behaviour,
20:23he can't be considered for rehoming.
20:25In Basildon, the team are working hard with dedicated mum Kira.
20:32Not only are they carefully feeding her up,
20:35they've weaned her puppies too.
20:39We're going to be feeding mum and pop separately.
20:41It just takes away that extra stress from mum.
20:43And the puppies get to eat in peace as well,
20:45so then she's not nicking all their food.
20:47Good girl.
20:48You were done mum.
20:57Today she's having a vet check with James and Charlotte.
21:02Hello.
21:03Hello.
21:04Oh, bless her that was.
21:06Obviously she is ravenous, she's really eating quickly,
21:09but she's not scavenging their food or anything.
21:12We just have a little health check, is that OK?
21:15First, they want to see if she's put on any weight since she arrived.
21:1912.3, OK, yeah, she is the same weight.
21:22Despite their feeding plan and very best efforts,
21:25Kira is still not gaining weight.
21:28Do we increase the food?
21:29Yeah, so it might be worth just a bit of a taste.
21:31We're not.
21:32Yes, you're good.
21:33So they have to decide on how to proceed with the lump
21:36at the base of her tail.
21:38Obviously she's too underweight to be putting her under a general aesthetic
21:41to be removed at the moment,
21:42so we didn't know whether we should get a sample of it.
21:44Yeah, we can get that sent off.
21:46Just make sure it's not anything sinister.
21:48Oh, well done.
21:50Oh, brave girl.
21:52Well done.
21:53Here we go.
21:54It could, unfortunately, be a malignant tumour,
21:57in which case, yeah, we'd need to remove it for her.
22:00But the benefit of sending it off to the lab first
22:02is we can try and find out exactly what type
22:04and how aggressive we need to be.
22:06As she's not gaining any weight in kennels
22:09and her puppies are now fully weaned...
22:12Come on then, Kira. Good girl.
22:14..the team decides on a new plan for Kira,
22:17a temporary stay in a foster home.
22:19Good girl, that's it.
22:20Dedicated foster carers can give struggling dogs
22:24around-the-clock care.
22:25Good girl, Kira.
22:27And provide them with a low-stress home environment
22:30to help their physical and psychological recovery.
22:33She's a good girl.
22:34You want your bedding, love?
22:36And up in Leeds, the team have decided
22:39this might also be the best option for Paige.
22:42Good lass.
22:44In we go.
22:45Who's no closer to being rehomed
22:47as she's still too stressed to have a complete health check?
22:51I'm joining Kevin to take her to foster.
22:54What a day.
22:56What a day indeed.
22:58Just another day at Dog Trust.
23:06How difficult is it to potentially rehome
23:08the more mature lady, let's call her?
23:10Sometimes it can be a struggle.
23:13It's quite a big thing for people to take a dog on
23:15at that end of their lifespan.
23:18I mean, it's always the kind of older ones that get me.
23:21Yeah, me too.
23:24Regardless of age and regardless of everything else,
23:27every dog deserves love and...
23:29Oh, they do.
23:30..deserves a home.
23:32You've been very good.
23:34Didn't hear a peep from you all the way.
23:36Hello, darling.
23:38Good girl.
23:39Oh, I bet that's nice.
23:41Shake it off.
23:42Those old legs.
23:43Right, off we go, this way.
23:44For older dogs like Paige,
23:46going to a foster home is invaluable
23:48as kennel life can be stressful.
23:56Hiya. Hi, Jane.
23:57We've got Paige here for you.
23:58There we go.
23:59That's where wonderful people like Jane step in.
24:03Hello, look.
24:05She's got an amazing temperament.
24:06Do you know what's wonderful to see?
24:07She's not panting anymore.
24:08No.
24:09She's really calmed down a lot.
24:10Yeah.
24:11Yeah.
24:12She's really calmed down a lot.
24:13Yeah.
24:14I'm really sure how good it is in foster homes.
24:15So this isn't your first foster.
24:16How long have you been doing it?
24:17I've been doing it for about ten years now.
24:18About ten years?
24:19Oh, you've done loads.
24:20Yeah.
24:21Yeah.
24:22Yeah.
24:23This is about my 65th.
24:2465th?
24:25Yeah.
24:2665th?
24:27Yeah.
24:2865th.
24:29Oh, wow.
24:42Oh so you know what's amazing.
24:45Oh, you've done loads, then.
24:46Yeah, this is about my 65th.
24:5065th?
24:50Yeah.
24:5165?
24:5265.
24:52Oh, wow.
24:53Oh, so you know...
24:54I mean, that's amazing.
24:55You're in the perfect place, then.
24:56Hey, you're lovely.
24:58Right, Jane, we're going to leave you to it.
25:00Right.
25:00Thank you, Jane.
25:01Paige is going to see us out.
25:03Yeah, OK.
25:04Speak to you soon.
25:05Yes, see you soon.
25:06Bye, Angel.
25:08After seeing Paige with Jane, I feel so much better.
25:12It's ended with her safe and sound
25:13with the most experienced foster carer I've ever heard of.
25:17I love you when you're singing that song, yeah.
25:21I got a lock in my phone
25:22Cos you're going to sing the words of...
25:26Back in Basildon,
25:29Keira's puppies are doing brilliantly.
25:31Ryan, how are you, mate?
25:32I'm good, thank you. How are you?
25:33I'm all the better now that I've seen some puppies.
25:36And they've been named...
25:38Nicholas, Nathaniel, Harley,
25:41Lottie,
25:43Julian
25:44and Eliza.
25:47Hello, puppies.
25:49One, two, three, four, five...
25:50There's six of you.
25:52How old are these guys now?
25:53About five, six weeks now.
25:55And how have they been getting on, mate?
25:56They've been doing fantastic.
25:57They eat well, they play nicely.
26:00As you can see, they're just a really cute litter of pups.
26:02It is incredible to see them out here kind of playing
26:04and with the way Keira was when she came in
26:07and how well she did as a mum,
26:09these puppies might not have been there at all.
26:12It's such a beautiful thing.
26:13It is.
26:14And, you know,
26:15they may not have had the best start,
26:16but going on,
26:17they'll hopefully have great lives with families
26:19and just become great family dogs, really.
26:21So what are we doing in here with them today?
26:23With each of the litters of pups,
26:24we do a bit of a character assessment with them.
26:26So it just helps us pick the right family for the right dog.
26:28Even though the pups are young,
26:31early life experiences and interactions with each other
26:34can lead to the pups all having unique
26:36and very different personalities.
26:39We've got Lottie here.
26:40Compared to the others,
26:41she does like to kind of sit in a corner
26:42and we'll just watch what's going on, really.
26:45Whereas you take Nicholas, for example,
26:46and he's more confident.
26:47He's a bit of a geezer.
26:49It's really hard to tell them apart, though, isn't it?
26:50It really...
26:51If the collars fall off, you've got a long day.
26:53Have you got a favourite?
26:55The one you've got there,
26:56little Nicholas,
26:56Yes, he's a real evil dog.
26:58You're a little bruiser.
26:59Yes, you are.
27:00Oh, no, he's my favourite.
27:01Every dog I hold is my favourite
27:03until I hold another dog
27:04and then that becomes my favourite.
27:06I need to stop telling everyone they're my favourite.
27:08Oh, no.
27:08You're about to start your new life.
27:10I don't think it's going to be a problem for you.
27:12No, it's not.
27:13Oh, off you go.
27:13I could just play all day with the puppies.
27:16Oh, excuse me.
27:17Sorry, did you...
27:17You're not getting any attention.
27:19I'm sorry.
27:20Oh, she's really cute.
27:23No, she is my favourite.
27:24Well, I don't have long to make my mind up on that one
27:28as these bundles of joy will be up for rehoming very soon.
27:33Just like my quarantine pups.
27:36After only three weeks,
27:38two have found their forever homes.
27:41Oh, this is such a good boy.
27:43Charlie, who was fostering Piglet, decided to keep him.
27:46Good boy.
27:47And I can't blame her.
27:48How can you not fall in love with him?
27:50He's such a cute ape.
27:51And bouncy Pom Tigger found a new home
27:54with Faye, Tony and Rue.
27:58See you later.
28:00Bye.
28:02Who are clearly very big animal lovers.
28:06But third puppy Eeyore can't go up for rehoming
28:09until the team get a handle on his reactions to other dogs.
28:13And today, he's having a bit more training
28:15with help from his old friend, Teddy.
28:18What do you reckon?
28:19Hi.
28:21Good boy.
28:21So, what are you noticing here, Leanne, then?
28:23So, obviously, stopped with the noise.
28:25Yeah.
28:25Teddy is super friendly,
28:27but sometimes he does also forget his manners as well.
28:29But he's coping reasonably OK with it.
28:32Oh.
28:32This is, oh, it's a bit scary.
28:34We can try and go for a bit of a walk if you're happy to...
28:37Yeah, should we give that a go?
28:38So, I think, yeah, it's not necessarily aggression or anything.
28:43It's just, I think, him being vocal is just a bit of a frustration.
28:48So, I don't quite know how to act about this.
28:50But also, maybe a little bit of fear in there as well.
28:53So, at this point, then, as kind of a first introduction,
28:55would you leave it here?
28:57I think so.
28:57I think we don't want to kind of scare him with lots of new dogs,
29:00but just doing it nice and slowly
29:02and just making sure that every experience around a dog
29:04is going to be a positive experience.
29:06So, it's small steps forward for Eeyore,
29:08as his training continues.
29:10Up in Leeds...
29:12Come on in.
29:12..having a dedicated foster carer
29:14is working wonders for Paige...
29:16He-he-he-he.
29:18See?
29:19..who is now much more relaxed...
29:21..and finally well enough to come back to the centre
29:25for her all-important vet check with John.
29:28Hi, John.
29:29This is Paige.
29:30We've got an old lady for you.
29:32So, here we go.
29:34Paige came in last week...
29:36..because she went to foster
29:37because she was a little bit stressed out.
29:39Mm.
29:39But she's settled down, calmed down a lot,
29:41really relaxed, just doing really well.
29:43Let's have a look, Sausage, how we're going to be.
29:45Can I have a look at these eyes before we start?
29:47Good girl.
29:48And she's got what we call
29:49nuclear sclerosis in the eyes.
29:52Nucleus...
29:53Sclerosis.
29:54Sclerosis.
29:54..and that's the lens in the eye.
29:56But that's kind of down to the wear and tear, like you say.
29:58Yeah, it is.
29:58Of a dog that age, it's very common.
30:00Yeah, it is.
30:01And surprisingly, it won't affect her vision a lot.
30:04OK.
30:04And then in terms of her legs,
30:06I mean, they were very shaky last week.
30:07Yeah.
30:07And I think that was probably the biggest concern.
30:09Come on, get away, look at this.
30:10Look, he's a good girl.
30:12There you go.
30:13Yeah.
30:14There's a bit of arthritis in the back end.
30:16Again, wear and tear related.
30:17You kind of expect arthritis in a 15-year-old dog, I imagine.
30:21Absolutely.
30:22You think she's in fairly good working order-ish?
30:25Yes.
30:25I mean, she's 15.
30:27Yeah.
30:27She's done remarkably well.
30:29Amazing.
30:30Beautiful.
30:31This is great news.
30:33Come on, then.
30:33Come on, Paige.
30:34Foster has done the trick,
30:36and she's now been signed off
30:37and can go up for rehoming.
30:40Kira.
30:41In Essex...
30:42Sit.
30:43Kira has been with her foster carer for a week already.
30:46Oh, good.
30:47Cool.
30:48Good girl.
30:50..where she's been eating well
30:51and getting around-the-clock care.
30:54Look at your tail go.
30:55And, of course, soaking up lots of love.
30:58Such a happy doggy.
30:59Kira, baby, good on with you waiting.
31:03Today, she's back with Vet James
31:05and Nurse Charlotte for a check-up
31:07to see if she's finally gaining weight.
31:10Hello.
31:12And I've heard the results are back from her lump.
31:15She looks great.
31:18Yeah, she's looking better.
31:19She looks really good.
31:21How are you, darling?
31:22Are you OK?
31:23Yeah, she looks really good, doesn't she?
31:24And even, like, I don't know if you noticed,
31:26but even giving her the snacks now,
31:27she's not as snappy, like, give me the food.
31:29She's not as hungry.
31:30Yeah, a bit more settled now, so that's really good.
31:33So just amazing, isn't it,
31:34from the state that she came in
31:36over such a short period of time,
31:38she already looks this good.
31:40Yeah.
31:40It's like there's, like, a little sparkle back in the way,
31:42you know?
31:42Yeah.
31:43Amazing.
31:44So what's been happening then?
31:45Give me the lowdown.
31:46Yeah, so we've got the results back
31:48from the sample we took from the lump.
31:50So it's organ use,
31:51so it's come back as a benign lump.
31:53Oh.
31:54So, yeah, it's what we call the perianal adenoma,
31:57so it's just a tumour of some of the glands.
31:59What's it called?
32:01Perianal adenoma.
32:02Perianal adenoma.
32:04Yeah.
32:04So it's benign, but sometimes they can change,
32:07so they're recommending it's removed.
32:10OK.
32:11Although it's good news,
32:13she still needs surgery,
32:15and that can't be done until she's a healthy weight.
32:18And have we weighed her yet?
32:19Have we weighed her today?
32:20No, she was 12.3 last time.
32:2212.3, yes.
32:23For a dog like Kira,
32:24what is kind of an ideal weight for her?
32:26Do you think we can get her up to, like,
32:2814, 15 kilograms?
32:2914.
32:30Shall we see what weight you are?
32:32We're looking for 14.
32:33Come on, then, puppy.
32:35I'm going to crawl.
32:39Yes, I know.
32:40Oh, what a good girl.
32:41Oh, such a weight.
32:4313.9?
32:45That's not bad, is it?
32:46Give me 10 more.
32:48This is so good.
32:49We can get it to 14, trust me.
32:51Give me more.
32:51Oh, I'm throwing up.
32:53Where are they going?
32:55It's such a relief that that has turned out not to be cancerous.
32:58You know, we were all really worried.
33:00She's been through enough already,
33:01so now we just need to build her up
33:03so that she is healthy enough for surgery.
33:06Yeah, I know.
33:07It's a very nice decision.
33:09She's definitely going in the right direction,
33:12but the surgery just isn't worth risking until she's completely ready.
33:16Back in Leeds, there's some good news from my golden girl, Paige,
33:26as today, potential new owner Jack has come to meet her.
33:30So this is your first time meeting, Paige, is it?
33:35It is, yeah.
33:36I saw her waddle through the doors and, yeah, I fell in love instantly.
33:39Just me and my partner have a soft spot for older dogs
33:43because we feel like we want to give the dog the best life possible
33:46with the time it's got left.
33:49I mean, it's unusual because a lot of people,
33:50when they're looking at adopting dogs,
33:51always want the kind of puppies and whatever else,
33:54and sometimes older dogs, they get overlooked a little bit.
33:57It's heartbreaking, really, when you think about it
34:00because they need to have as much love as the younger dogs get.
34:04And it would be amazing for Paige to get her into a forever home
34:07so she can live out the rest of her life
34:09covered in love and a bit of happiness.
34:11My partner being a veterinary surgeon, she's seen a lot of...
34:14Your partner's a vet as well?
34:15She is, yeah.
34:16Oh, it's...
34:17Yeah.
34:17Ticking boxes here, aren't they?
34:19It's a good match.
34:21I mean, so what are you kind of thinking then?
34:23I mean, is your partner going to come and meet her as well?
34:25Yes, yeah, so unfortunately she couldn't make it today,
34:27but she definitely wants to meet her, for sure.
34:31I mean, as first dates go, this is pretty impressive.
34:33It's my deal, isn't it?
34:34So now we've just got to convince your partner?
34:37Yes.
34:37I don't think it'll take much convincing.
34:38I don't think it's going to be difficult, no.
34:39I think you just give her Paige and go, what do you think?
34:42What do you think?
34:43Is that nice?
34:45Paige, we might have found you a home, darling.
34:48Hopefully, she's the one for them.
34:52Meanwhile, in Basildon,
34:54Kira's pups are now eight weeks old
34:57and have been flying out the door.
34:59Step into the open...
35:03Eliza is going home with the Vertigal family
35:06and now has a new and much bigger friend.
35:15Julian is leaving to start his new life with Hayley and Nick.
35:18Hello, look.
35:20Cute, too.
35:20The Turner family are taking Nicholas home.
35:27Hi, Dad.
35:29Harley is the newest member of the Murphy family.
35:33And the past family are whisking Lottie off
35:36to her new home in Shropshire.
35:40Is she a good boy?
35:42Is she going to be a good boy?
35:43And finally, Nathaniel is cuddling up with Jill
35:47and her whole family.
35:56But today is the big day for supermum Kira.
36:00Her foster carer, Sarah, has brought her in
36:03to see if she's gained that vital extra weight
36:05so she can finally have her lump removed.
36:10It's amazing the recovery she's had in just three weeks
36:13and her personality has always shone through,
36:17even from the start,
36:18which is amazing, really,
36:19considering what she's been through before.
36:22She's brilliant.
36:23She's everything you could ask for in a dog.
36:29Hello, Kira.
36:31Good girl.
36:32Good girl, wait.
36:34Wait.
36:3514.8 today.
36:37Excellent.
36:38She's coming up.
36:39Yeah, she's looking a lot better.
36:41Body condition.
36:42I mean, I think she's there, isn't she?
36:43She's at ideal weight now.
36:46Not only does this mean she's completely transformed
36:49from the skin and bones she was when she arrived,
36:51but it also means she's able to have surgery.
36:56Can we do a six?
36:57Good girl.
36:58Double pull.
36:59That was a high ten.
37:01However, there is yet another problem for Kira.
37:05Tail tip's quite sore and irritated.
37:09And the foster said she's hitting it on everything
37:10in the house, unfortunately.
37:13When dogs wag their tails and hit them on hard surfaces,
37:17it can cause trauma to the tip, known as happy tail.
37:20In contrast to the name, untreated,
37:24it can lead to serious infections.
37:26So what we're going to do is, unfortunately,
37:28remove some of the tail, just so that it's a little bit shorter
37:30and it's less likely to be injured and damaged for her.
37:33Yeah, hopefully I'll make you a bit more comfy, though.
37:35We'll do that at the same time as removing the mass
37:37just to save anaesthetics for her.
37:39Come on in.
37:40Let's go.
37:41Kira has already been through so much,
37:43but this surgery is hopefully the last step.
37:46So the team wastes no time and get her to the off-site vets.
37:51Let's go.
37:52To have the lump removed
37:53and the end of her tail amputated.
37:59Once Kira is under general anaesthetic,
38:02vet Amy can begin by removing the tip of her tail.
38:04We're going to take it a little bit shorter
38:06to prevent her damaging it further.
38:10First, Amy identifies how much of Kira's tail to remove
38:13and amputates the end.
38:15So that's her tail amputation,
38:17so we're just going to change all the kit.
38:19We're also removing a little mass underneath her tail.
38:23It's attached by quite a stalk of skin,
38:25so we're just going to sort of dissect around the mass.
38:28Once the mass is removed,
38:32she can now sew up the wound.
38:38This basically just protects the tail.
38:41The wound should heal in about 10 to 14 days,
38:44so we just have to keep her really rested,
38:46make sure that she doesn't get to the tail,
38:49doesn't get infected.
38:51Hopefully after that she'll just make a full recovery.
38:58As Kira comes round from the anaesthetic,
39:01we can only hope that this is the last step
39:04on her road to recovery.
39:11Up in Leeds, Jack has brought his partner to meet Paige.
39:15And it's clear there are no objections.
39:19Because they decide to take her home.
39:31I cannot tell you just how happy I am
39:34that we can finally turn the page
39:37and start a brand new chapter.
39:42But back in the Basildon Centre,
39:45there is one pup who has yet to find a home.
39:47Eeyore.
39:49The team has been working hard socialising him with other dogs.
39:53Oh, good boy!
39:54And it's clear all their hard work has paid off.
40:00We've been continuing his training
40:02and he's been improving on his socialisation skills.
40:05And as you can see today,
40:07like, he's had a massive improvement.
40:10Now he can finally be rehomed
40:12and I'm going to get him ready for the big day.
40:14Short back inside, sir.
40:15Yeah? Yeah?
40:16Oh, it's lovely. You shouldn't do that.
40:17It's inappropriate with a hairdresser.
40:19To meet his new forever family,
40:22the Taylors.
40:29And as for Supermum Keira,
40:31today, she's back in the centre.
40:34And I can't wait to see how she is.
40:37Charlotte, how are you, darling?
40:43Keira!
40:44Hello, baby!
40:46What is it?
40:46She's got the zoomies at the moment.
40:48She has.
40:49How are you, darling?
40:49Yeah, I'm good, you?
40:50Yeah, fabulous.
40:51She looks amazing.
40:52Yeah, she looks great, doesn't she?
40:56I'm very happy.
40:57Yeah.
40:57She loves being out here
40:58and she absolutely loves playing with her balls.
41:01Baby!
41:02She really does love that ball, doesn't she?
41:04Yeah.
41:05It's like doing this thing without a dog, this.
41:07It's just like shadow running around.
41:09So with the surgeries and stuff that she's had,
41:11did everything go well?
41:13So the town amputation went well,
41:14wound healed really well.
41:16We removed the mass near the rectum.
41:19That also was successful.
41:21Go.
41:22She's been on a bit of a journey, hasn't she?
41:24She really has, yeah.
41:26But it is incredible to see her running about like this.
41:30What's kind of next for Keira?
41:31So now she's ready to go up for rehoming.
41:34Is it finally her time?
41:35Yeah.
41:36Keira!
41:38Given her character and how lovely she is,
41:40hopefully she's going to be snapped up pretty quickly.
41:43I mean, Keira is wild.
41:46Which I love.
41:47But it's like she's turned into a puppy again.
41:50It's kind of like a second wind in life.
41:52And I love that for her
41:53because it's the first time I've seen her this kind of happy.
41:56It's like a weight's been lifted off her shoulders,
41:58which sounds mad because she's put weight on.
42:00It's like she's lost the kind of weight of the world.
42:03And it's just really lovely to see.
42:05And whoever ends up with Keira is just going to be so lucky.
42:07She's such a beautiful doll.
42:08She just, she just makes you smile.
42:10Please, darling, you know what I just want you to shake that up?
42:13You just play by the...
42:15That towel.
42:15You're like, no, it just doesn't stop.
42:17No.
42:17And this is where, you know, that problem came from in the first place
42:20with her little, um, injury.
42:22We call it the happy towel because they just keep wagging it.
42:24It is it.
42:24It keeps hitting everything.
42:25Should we do Keira happy?
42:26Come on.
42:27We're going to.
42:27Ready?
42:28Oh, we're so happy.
42:33I'm just so pleased that she's now up for rehoming.
42:37And whoever ends up with that dog is going to be absolutely blessed
42:40because it's, it's the start of the rest of her life.
42:44I love Keira.
42:45Me too.
42:46She makes me smile.
42:47You ready, buddy?
42:59They've only lived one life so far.
43:03As an athlete, they don't really know how to be dogs.
43:06It's not really the way any dog should live.
43:08Hi, Sam.
43:09Oh, bless you.
43:12His previous owner wasn't really looking after him properly.
43:16He's got a special little something about it.
43:17A twinkle in his eye.
43:19You just want every dog to be happy.
43:21It is a huge thing just for him to do this.
43:23You're not that old, are you?
43:25Or maybe you are because you can't get back up again.
43:27This is my kingdom come.
43:30When you pull my keys, look into my eyes.
43:35It's where my demons hide.
43:38It's where my demons hide.
43:41When you pull my keys, look into my eyes.
43:46It's dark inside.
43:49It's where my demons hide.
43:51It's where my demons hide.
43:54It's where my demons hide.
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