Canine lives

TIMMY the Collie Cross has a ghastly tennis ball-sized tumour on the side of his face, and he’s living in a squalid house surrounded by filth. RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes heads to the scene after neighbours alerted the police – the smell coming from the Merseyside house was so bad they thought someone had died. Anthony finds 15-year-old Timmy cowering in the front room. He says: “I can still smell it. It was pretty grim.” This is just one of the compelling and sad stories of animal neglect that’s told by Alan Davies in this fifth series. He follows the inspectors as they continue their crusade against cruelty with dramatic rescues, miraculous recoveries and heartwarming re-homings. As for Timmy, he is whisked away to vet Hollie Jones, who must X-ray the tumour to find out if it’s cancerous or whether the elderly dog can be saved. Meanwhile, in Liverpool, Inspector Helen Smith is called to check on Archie, a stroppy Shih Tzu whose fur has become so matted that he can barely see or hear. Admitting she can’t look after Archie, the owner signs him over to Helen, who takes him off for a haircut. But there could be health issues lurking under that heavy coat. And in Pontypool Park in Wales, Inspector Simon Evans pays a visit to two French bulldog puppies who were found dumped in a cardboard box. Yoda and Mogwai are really lacking in confidence, but what will the future hold for these two ugly puplings? Find out also what happened to the owners, who are prosecuted where possible for their terrible mistreatment of our fourlegged friends.

DUMPED Yoda and (below) Mogwai Timmy after his op RECOVERING