Pets in show biz are nothing new.

Animals have been in front of the cameras since the media of film and photography were invented.

Cheetah the chimp of "Tarzan" movies fame, Pete, the pooch from the "Our Gang" series, Toto, the iconic Cairns terrier from "The Wizard of Oz," Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Trigger the horse, curmudgeonly kitty Morris and many others have captured the hearts of the public for decades.


But nowadays, pets are more popular than ever. As a result, there are more opportunity for pets in show biz than ever, with a record number of animal actors appearing in memorable films, commercials and music videos.

The explosion of the Internet, which enabled the likes of Grumpy Cat, Street Cat Bob and the late Colonel Meow to attain worldwide fame, has also contributed to this phenomenon.

This has resulted in a growing industry for pet handlers, dog trainers, pet stylists and talent agents that specialize in working with show biz pets.

I spoke with Gloria Winslip, owner of and head trainer for All Animal Actors International, a West Coast-based critter talent agency, and Dawn Wolfe, owner of Pawsitively Famous Animal Actors based in Delran, N.J., about this fascinating business.

The Road that Led to Pet Show Biz Fame

Not surprisingly, both Gloria and Dawn got into this unique business by accident, and in a roundabout way.

Dawn had been a dog trainer for about 25 years when she went to work for an animal talent agency before opening her own agency in 2006.

Gloria got into this business unofficially in the late 1960s, and then formally launched her agency in 1981.

"I began in Atlanta; I had a horse barn with over 60 horses," she said. "CNN would come out to my ranch for shoots. Then photographers began to come out. It kept going from there."

One of her big breaks came in the mid-1990s, when the folks at Disney contacted her to request critter talent for the movie "Gordy: The Talking Pig Who Made it Big!"

"I was the only agency around," she recalled. "I started getting work in Florida, and then through word of mouth. There were film books back then. Walt Disney called me and said they needed 26 animals the next day. I decided that this was what I wanted to do when I grew up."

Famous Clients

In recent times, Gloria has provided animal talent for music videos for Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

Her critter clients have appeared in numerous movies and TV shows and ads including "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," "Ace Ventura," "America's Got Talent," Animal Planet, HBO and others too numerous to mention.

Meanwhile, Dawn has provided animal talent for such movies as "Motherhood," Animal Planet's "America's Cutest Pet" and a hilariously memorable TV spot for Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Minnesota, which starred her Jack Russell terrier, Miss Hope.

So Your Pet Wants to Be in Show Biz

There are a lot of opportunities for pets and people who work with animals in this growing industry.

And in addition to the usual dogs and cats, there are often calls for all kinds of animals including small exotic pets such as rabbits, skunks, fish and reptiles, along with horses, cows, pigs and others.

"Someone did some sort of survey on this," Gloria said. "Almost three out of four commercials have an animal in it. They are not using exotic animals so much anymore, such as lions, tigers and elephants. But the dogs and cats are really busy." 

The need is so widespread that Dawn has created a database on her website where prospective clients from across the U.S. can create profiles for their pets, so that she has info to cull from when she needs specific types of animals.

But Few Animals Have Star Quality

Despite the growing demand and opportunities, only a select amount of animals have what it takes to be in show biz.

Both Dawn and Gloria emphasized that animals must be very well trained to even get a paw anywhere near the door in this business.

"I get e-mails all the time saying, 'Look how cute my dog is,' and people say this dog should be in movies," Dawn said. "Cute is great. But the training is what's most important. A dog has to sit and stay. So the more training a dog has, the greater the chance you have of getting work."

But if you do have what it takes to make it in this dog-eat-dog business, the rewards are innumerable.

"I absoultely love what I do," Gloria said. "Getting paid is good, but seeing my animals on the big screen is super."

In a related development, the pet fashion industry has created a demand for critter models. Stay tuned for a glimpse into this fascinating niche industry, along with a profile of a famous kitty model!