The UK’s leading animal talent agency has partnered with York Bird of Prey Centre to put their birds in the celebrity spotlight.
Urban Paws UK helps place animals and birds on everything from fashion shoots for luxury designer brands to TV commercials and films. One of its feathered talents – a chicken – famously featured in a Gucci advert alongside Harry Styles.
Now it’s planning to make stars of some of the residents at York Bird of Prey Centre, which is home to more than 100 different birds and 45 different species. Based within the walled garden at Burn Hall Hotel in Huby, the centre already runs bird handling and display experiences for visitors. The majority of its birds have been hand-reared which makes them perfect for work on any social media, online, film and TV, commercials and fashion campaigns.
Jo Gordon, head booker with Urban Paws UK, says the partnership will showcase the centre’s beautiful birds and help support the work they do. And it allows the agency to offer something unique to clients who regularly get in contact looking for the ideal bird to feature.
“We are delighted to be working with the York Bird of Prey Centre and we hope teaming up with them will be an amazing opportunity for both of us,” she said.
“It’s our first partnership with an organisation like this and it means we are the only agency in the country able to offer a one-stop-shop service to clients who want to hire a bird.
“That’s important because if a client wants to book five different types of bird then often we’ll have to go to five different places to get those pets, and we have to make sure they all get on together. Because these birds have been hand-reared, they know each other so you could put multiple birds on set and there would be no issues which is a massive plus for a client.
“The centre also has all the necessary licences which makes it even easier when it comes to finding them work and we have visited and seen for ourselves that the birds are really well looked after which is always a priority.”
Jo says she hopes to secure plenty of bookings for the birds over the next few months as demand has soared with restrictions lifted. Fees paid for every booking will go back towards the upkeep and running of the centre which was established in 2011 and is run by volunteers.
