Animal Actor Welfare Oversight - "Film Set Vet"
If you would like to involve animal talent in your production it can be useful to discuss whether your ideas are going to be feasible. Some ideas are great on a story board but making them happen with a real live animal actor may be impossible. Discussing what is and isn’t possible ahead of filming can save a lot of money and frustration.
It is important only healthy and calm animals are employed as actors.
A pre-filming assessment of both physical and mental well-being is a must before any involvement of animal talent.
Animal actors can suffer stress and upset just as humans can but they are less well able to communicate it.
Knowledge of normal animal behaviour allows us to know when an animal is distressed or has simply had enough of their situation. This ensures that they do not suffer as a result of the filming process.
Once the animal actors part in the production is completed a full assessment is made to ensure that they are just as happy and healthy as when they started. This allows us to provide a full statement confirming that their welfare was maintained throughout and no harm was caused by the filming process. This fulfils your obligations under the animal welfare legislation.
We all enjoy watching animals on-screen but it is vital these animals are respected during the production process. Different species of animals have different needs and tolerances for stress.
Video production uses techniques and creates environments that can be stressful for those animals involved.
It is important to understand the different needs and behaviours of the animals involved and make certain they do not suffer any undue stress as a result of filming.
While it is important that productions do feature animals, for educational and entertainment purposes, what must remain paramount at all times is the welfare of those animals involved.
We can offer an unobtrusive “Film Set Vet” to monitor welfare on set and provide a completely independent and unbiased assessment of any production featuring animal actors.
From a pre-filming health and welfare assessment, through monitoring on set conditions and finishing with a post wrap check and compliance statement we can ensure that your obligations to animal welfare are fully met.