Animal agency director

Adam Grant, PetLondon

As the director of operations for an animal modelling agency, I take bookings, arrange logistics and then help to handle animal models during photo-shoots. We work with dogs and cats, but also birds, reptiles, horses, cows, sheep and even chickens. The most exotic animal I’ve used was a tiger. Fortunately, it was on its own in the shoot.

It can be challenging – sometimes I have to train the animal on the spot to do what the client wants. I generally prefer the owners to help handle the animals and with something like a tiger, we get an expert to help.

Our clients are usually magazines or ad agencies. I’ve also worked with Tesco, Nokia, Harrods and with clients at London Fashion Week. A new club in London recently requested two Alaskan huskies to sit at the door.

The strangest experience I’ve had was on a photo-shoot for the Russian edition of Vogue. They got a family of six micro-pigs – each about the size of a small infant – then decorated them with the most expensive diamonds I have ever seen. It was very opulent.

I’ve worked with lots of exotic creatures but the hardest models to work with are cats because they are so independent.

But unlike in normal modelling, where photographers can be demanding, they generally take one look at the animal, fall in love, and say: “OK, whatever the dog wants.”