Animal Actors in the Movies

By Michele C. Hollow of Pet News and Views

When you are watching a film and a cockroach is about to be stomped on, a director yells, “cut.” In walks a certified animal safety rep member from American Humane’s Film and Television Unit. The roach is replaced with a fake bug, the director gives the cry to resume, and the cameraman shoots. Certified animal safety reps are on many film and television sets; their job is to make sure that no animal is harmed during the filming of a show. They also make sure that animal actors get breaks and are treated with respect.

Uggie from the Academy Award winning movie The Artist was watched over by certified animal safety reps from American Humane.

Many people outside the industry question the protection of a cockroach. “It’s all about where we draw the line,” says Jone Bouman, head of communications for American Humane’s Film and Television Unit. “Should we make the cut off at guinea pigs or dogs or larger animals? We have to protect all animals without discriminating. Our goal is to watch out for the welfare and safety of each and every animal on the set.”

American Humane started working in the film industry in the 1920s and 30s. “At that time, there were several instances of wire tripping of horses in westerns,” says Bouman. “It was the film “Jesse James,” starring Henry Fonda that had a chase scene where a horse had to jump over a cliff. The horse was forced over the cliff and died. That was in 1939, and because of that situation, American Humane was able to rally a public outcry. We weren’t officially recognized on film sets before that time. The Film and Television Unit officially opened its doors in 1940.”

So when you are watching the end credits of a film and see the statement, “No animals were harmed in the making of this film,” you know that a certified animal safety representative was on the set watching out for the animal actors. Certified animal safety representatives are part of the Screen Actors Guild. They are not hired by the studio, producer, or director. “That would be a conflict of interest,” says Bouman. “We aren’t beholden to the people who make the film. Our reps are on the set working for American Humane. Their salaries come from grants from American Humane.”

Working as a Certified Animal Safety Rep
American Humane hires ten full time reps and between 25 and 35 on-call and part time safety reps. “We keep them as busy as possible,” says Bouman. “We host trainings once a year. It is a tough job. It can entail a lot of travel, hard work, and long days with a lot of sitting around.”

Full time reps earn $40,000 a year to start. Part time reps are paid by the hour. It can be as low as $15 or up to $25 an hour. Food is usually provided on the set, and hotels and transportation are paid for by American Humane if you are on the road.

Even though the staff of reps is small, “we are always looking,” says Bouman. “Not everyone is comfortable with the amount of travel and unpredictability of not always knowing what set you will be working on. This type of schedule does lead to openings. I’m always looking for people with equine experience or trainers who work with livestock. Being able to work with dogs, cats, horses, and other animals gives you a leg up in this job.”