About 1st Choice Animals

Animal Wranglers

35+ years of animal agency excellence

1st Choice Animals don't just provide trained animals – We provide decades of experience and unparalleled expertise, whatever your animal needs of the nature of your project or occasion.

One all-in-one service covers the supplying, training and coordinating of any species, all while taking steps to ensure that both the animal and those it will be working alongside are safe and looked after.

All the 1st Choice Animals team are highly-qualified professionals working with animals in audiovisual, hold a complete range of Animal Transport certifications and founder Jill is an A1 Assessor for animal care who runs training courses on-premises.

We have you covered from the sourcing to the training to the supplying – No matter the animal

Contact 1st Choice Animals today by emailing Jill Clark to get started.

EMAIL

1st Choice Animals, Jill Clark and farm cow

How does our animal talent agency train animals?

While 1st Choice Animals may have an international scope and coverage, our training and handling of animals is still very much hands-on.

Our training philosophy is simple – Positive reinforcement and reward-based techniques. It's a straightforward approach that nonetheless produces repeatable and reliable results across the entire animal kingdom, regardless of whether we happen to be training a donkey for a nativity play or a canary for a feature film.

1st Choice Animals, Ernie dog

We believe that animals are as much individuals as people, with their own distinct temperaments and preferences. Every animal learns at its own pace, and we tailor our training programs accordingly.

At the end of the day, we will never force an animal to do something beyond its natural capabilities, that it would be uncomfortable doing or that would otherwise compromise its quality of life.

All the 1st Choice Animals team are highly-qualified professionals working with animals in audiovisual, hold a complete range of Animal Transport certifications and founder Jill is an A1 Assessor for animal care who runs training courses on-premises.

How do our animal wranglers look after animals?

Film and TV sets are exciting places for people – but potentially overwhelming for animals. That's why 1st Choice Animals take meticulous steps to ensure a safe and positive environment for everybody involved.

Before any animal joins the production or is forwarded for an occasion, we conduct thorough temperament assessments to make sure that particular animal is suited for the demands of its destination. There's no point in choosing a dog for a production based on its appearance alone, if said dog is prone to biting – This isn't fair to the animal, crew or bystanders.

By the time we have arranged the transportation of an animal, it has already been shortlisted for its temperament and thoroughly trained to become acclimated with people.

However, our commitment to safety doesn't stop there. Every animal is going to need its own space, and on-set animal wranglers make use of strategic fencing and barriers to create a safe and secure zone for the animal. This helps to control the animal's movement, prevent unexpected interactions and ensure their wellbeing in accordance with the Five Animal Welfare Needs.

1st Choice Animals, Aby goat

FIVE ANIMAL WELFARE NEEDS

1st Choice Animals horse portrait by Alan Wennington

The need for a suitable environment

e.g. giving a Labrador Retriever cast in a film set a designated quiet area with shade, water and comfortable bedding to retreat to between takes.

The need for a suitable diet

e.g. providing a predatory animal with a diet specially formulated for its nutrition needs that mimics its natural play as closely as possible, along with ready access to fresh, clean water.

The need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns

e.g. making sure a group of monkeys participating in a TV advertisement have ample opportunities to climb, socialise and engage in natural exploratory behaviours within a safe and controlled environment.

The need to be protected from pain, injury and suffering

e.g. never pressuring or pressing an animal to perform an action that would cause it discomfort or fear, and stopping filming at the first signs of distress.

The need to be housed with, or apart from, other animals

e.g. housing a particularly sociable goat cast for a film scene with compatible goat companions, while on the other hand providing a cat with a separate, secluded space a suitable distance from other animals it may come into conflict with.