Are there certain animal welfare guidelines that production companies must follow?
Film and photo shoots are usually monitored by a representative from American Humane. The animals are not supposed to work for long periods of time without a break, and they must have shade from the heat and warmth from the cold. “There are movies I have boycotted because of reported mistreatment of the animal talent,” Wells says. “If you want to know what goes on with your animal actor, I suggest you be the handler.” • Do animals need to be able to work well with other animals on set? It’s absolutely useful if your pet gets along well with other animals. However, there aren’t always other animals on set. “I would be in trouble if that were the case,” says Wells. “Some of the huge dogs I deal with don’t like other dogs, but are the only ones in the show or video.” If your pet has to share the stage with another animal, you might be able to distract her with a treat or toy. If filming a music video, for example, you can usually be as loud as you want because they add the music later. We
