Taking your first step into the world of modelling can be daunting. Here we answer a few of the most common questions asked by pet-owners considering putting their pets forward as models.

Why should I choose Models Direct?

There are so many reasons! Here are the most important ones:

• We’ve been bringing models and clients together since 1990.
• Our approach is sincere, professional, qualified and committed. We want your pet to succeed.
• We represent men, women, teens, children, babies and animals to clients all over the world.
• We’re not just a faceless internet company – we’re real people, and you can meet us here or visit our offices if you want. (We’ll even pay half your travel costs from anywhere in the UK.)

How does Models Direct work?

First, you complete an application and submit your pet’s pictures. Then, if your pet is selected, you pay a small fee to cover the costs of our representing your pet to clients and they go onto our database. Every day, clients send us their specific requests for pet models and we search the database to find models we can put forward. The client says yes, we agree a fee with you and the booking takes place. It’s that simple!

How does the process of getting an assignment work?

When clients ask us to provide an animal model (or models), we carefully search our database and make a selection of our pet models’ pictures online for the client to access, using a limited access security code.

For your safety and peace of mind, there is no way that clients can obtain your contact information by viewing our database.

Once the client makes their selection, we agree availability, the type of booking and an acceptable fee for you. Then we confirm all the details with you (time, place and fee).

We collect the assignment fee from the client, retain one-third as our agency fee and give you the rest.

What types of clients do you deal with?

Basically, we deal with any business who needs pets or animals for paid modelling and promotional work. These can include photographers, advertising agencies, film and television production companies, fashion houses and any other business. You can view our client list here.

How hard is it to get assignments?

We won’t lie to you: modelling is an extremely competitive industry. Many pet owners feel their pets have the looks and personality to be models. There are no guarantees of work and the choice of model rests with our client.

However, we have a full-time team of professional co-ordinators on duty every day, working exclusively on behalf of all our models and our worldwide clients. We want your pet to get work; we succeed when you succeed. Our reputation rests on our ability to provide the perfect model for every requirement.

Can my pet do work for other model agencies?

Yes, of course. The whole point of modelling is to work whenever and wherever you can.

What do your pet models earn?

The short answer is, ‘it depends!’ Fees range from £10 per hour to hundreds of pounds a day depending on the client, how long the assignment takes and where the images or footage will be used. Have a look at some of the success stories on the site to get a feel for what your pet could earn as a model.

Since we retain a proportion of the fee, it’s in our interests to get the best possible deal, so rest assured we’re always negotiating on your pet’s behalf. We want them to do well.

Will we have to travel?

You may need to travel to your assignment. Sometimes, our clients opt for pets with owners who live relatively close to them, so they don’t have to pay travel costs. At other times, it’s vital that they get the right look regardless of location, so they’ll ask us for a national search. But you won’t have to pay for your own travel, and we’ll agree all the details with you up front.

Is my pet the right shape, size and look to be an animal model?

Yes. Our clients ask us for a huge variety of different sizes, shapes and looks every day.

Every application we receive is carefully checked by our model co-ordinators and compared with our existing pet models before being submitted to our National Selection Panel for a decision on whether we will represent them.

Is it going to cost me anything?

There’s no charge for submitting an application to us. If your pet’s application is approved and we make an offer of representation, there is a small charge that equates to less than £43 a year. This covers the cost of your being featured in our work seeking publication.

Look at it this way: for less than £1 a week, your pet is in with the opportunity to find modelling work that could bring you some handy extra cash. For our part, we promise to put them forward whenever their look is called for. The rest is up to you!