Animal Direction

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Animal Direction is a leading animal casting agency for the UK's media industry.

06/11/2026

Earlier this week, Animal Direction founder Davinia Hamilton-Maddox visited Keele University to talk to first-year veterinary students about animal welfare in the TV, film and media industry.

Davinia shared her experience of working with animals on set, explaining how we keep our animal stars safe, happy and healthy during productions, and what veterinary professionals should look out for to ensure their welfare needs are met.

It was a fantastic opportunity to share the work that goes on behind the scenes at Animal Direction and Vet on Set, and to highlight the important roles our vets, registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) and experienced animal handlers play in looking after animals throughout filming.

Animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do, so it's always a pleasure to share our knowledge with the next generation of veterinary professionals.

A big thank you to Keele University and the students for such a warm welcome!

🎓 If your university, college or organisation would be interested in a talk about animal welfare in the media industry, we'd love to support you. Please send an email to [email protected] or call us on 07583 341362 / 07340 476798.

29/10/2026

We are delighted and proud to announce that our founder and director, Davinia, has been NOMINATED for the prestigious Women in Business Awards 2027! 🏆
Being nominated is an achievement in itself 🥹💜
🌟 OUR NOMINATED CATEGORY 🌟
Woman in Pet Care Services
Name: Davinia Hamilton-Maddox
Company: Animal Direction
You can vote for her on this link: https://www.allcounted.com/s?did=s14bpo1tthmuz&lang=en_US

29/10/2026

🐈‍⬛ From National Black Cat Day to Halloween… it’s the perfect week to celebrate some of our black cat stars!

Meet Red and Spud, two of the talented cats on the Animal Direction books who are certainly no strangers to the camera.

Red is back on set this week for Pets at Home and their upcoming Black Furday campaign – a brilliant play on Black Friday! Meanwhile, experienced animal star Spud has worked on set many times and will soon be appearing in the next series of Waterloo Road.

National Black Cat Day, which took place earlier this week, was created by to celebrate black and black-and-white cats and encourage more people to give them a loving home. Find out more here:
cats.org.uk/support-us/events/black-cats

With Halloween tomorrow and Black Friday not too far away, we think Red and Spud deserve their moment in the spotlight! 🐾

Looking for feline talent for an upcoming production? Call us on 07583 341 362 or 07340 4767 98, or email [email protected].

14/10/2026

Animal welfare doesn’t start when the cameras roll – and it doesn’t stop until the animal leaves set.

Working with animals on a production comes with responsibilities, which is why Animal Direction offers a professional Vet on Set service alongside our animal casting and handling expertise.

Pictured are Rachel Bean, Head of Animal Welfare at Vet On Set, and Chris Geddes, one of our on-set vets – part of the experienced team providing professional animal welfare support to productions.

Having veterinary expertise available on set provides additional reassurance, helping to ensure the health, safety and welfare of animal performers are considered throughout filming.

From assessing the environment and monitoring an animal’s wellbeing, to advising the production team where needed, our Vet on Set service helps ensure animals receive the right support throughout their time on set.

It’s all part of our welfare-first approach to working with animals across TV, film, commercials, photography and live productions.

If you’re planning a production involving animals and would like to talk through the support you might need, give our team a call on 07583 341 362 or 07340 476 798, or email [email protected].

Find out more about our Vet on Set service:
animaldirection.com/vet-on-set

02/10/2026

It’s been a busy few weeks here at Animal Direction.

Here’s more from a large campaign we had the pleasure to support Pets at home with.

30/09/2026

Chilli working again for Pets at Home

Good job Chilli Bean

30/09/2026

We’re delighted to introduce Penny and Arya, two gorgeous Maine C**n cats, and Charlie, a beautiful Golden Retriever.

Penny and Arya recently joined us on set and were absolute stars, taking the experience in their stride and showing plenty of potential in front of the camera.

Charlie also recently made his debut on set and proved he has the makings of another fantastic Animal Direction star.

It’s always exciting to see new animal talent getting their first experience of a professional production, and we look forward to seeing what comes next for all three.

If you’re after well behaved, ethically sourced and handled dogs, cats or other animal talent for your next TV, film, commercial or photography project, call our team on 07583 341362 / 07340 476798 or email [email protected]

**n

17/09/2026

to one of our rather grand animal stars…

Last year, our gorgeous Great Dane, Brutus, took part in a shoot for Raffles London at The OWO – and what a fantastic production to be involved with! Brutus was an absolute star on set, and we’re very proud to see him featured in Raffles’ campaign imagery.

It’s always brilliant to see our animal talent working with such prestigious brands, and Brutus is a great example of how the right animal can bring something extra special to a campaign.

🎬 Are you looking for animal talent for your next commercial, campaign, TV or film production? Get in touch with the Animal Direction team:
📧 [email protected]
📞 07583 341362 / 07340 476798

Take a look at Brutus in action for Raffles London on their Instagram feed:
instagram.com/p/DOsiLwVjJ41
And keep an eye out for him on the Raffles London website too:
raffles.com/london

26/08/2026

🐾 Happy National Dog Day!

Say hello to Beau – our stunning Cocker Spaniel and one of the talented dogs on the Animal Direction books.

Beau recently made his debut appearance on set for a TV commercial filmed in Bristol, and we’re delighted to say he took to life in front of the camera brilliantly!

Calm, confident and comfortable on set, Beau is a great example of the wonderful dogs we represent. We work with dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds, carefully matching their temperament, training and personality to the requirements of each production.

Whether they’re needed for TV, film, commercials, photography or live performance, our animals are professionally supported throughout, with care and welfare always our top priority.

So, for National Dog Day, we're celebrating Beau and all the brilliant canine stars we have the pleasure of working with across the UK.

🎬 Need the perfect on-screen companion? Get in touch with the team:
📧 [email protected]
📞 07583 341 362 / 07340 476 798

Browse all of our dog breeds: animaldirection.com/dog-models

31/07/2026

We're delighted to introduce two of our latest, experienced and reliable feline stars, Stripey and Fitzwilliam, who recently worked with WHISKAS® on a campaign in May.

From the moment they arrived on set, both cats were an absolute pleasure to work with. Calm, confident and happy in a busy production environment, they performed brilliantly and were a credit to their owners and handlers.

We're proud to work with some of the UK's best-known brands, production companies and agencies, carefully matching each brief with the right animal while ensuring animal welfare remains our top priority throughout every production.

Whether you're looking for dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, reptiles or other animal talent, we'd love to help bring your next project to life.

To discuss your next production, get in touch with the Animal Direction team on 07583 341362 / 07340 476798 or email [email protected].

In the meantime, follow the official WHISKAS® Instagram page and keep an eye out for Stripey and Fitzwilliam!
instagram.com/whiskas

Whiskas

Address

Manchester

Telephone

+447583341362

Website

http://www.animaldirection.com/

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