National Pets Month 2023: starring our animation team’s animal magic
Often behind the more public scenes of life’s rich tapestry, our pets play a starring role at home. And this month is all about celebrating these heroes. Welcome to National Pets Month 2023!
Every April, National Pets Month (NPM) shines the spotlight on our endearingly animated companions, and we don’t just mean *hilarious* cat videos (but definitely check this one out).
Led by a collaboration between the National Office Of Animal Health (NOAH) and UK Pet Food, NPM brings together pets, pet lovers, animal welfare charities, and their supporters in the month-long educational campaign promoting responsible pet ownership and celebrating our much-loved pet starlets.
The team at SciAni are animal lovers too! We give you an exclusive backstage pass to our eclectic mix of rabbits, dogs, horses, and cats. We asked everyone to lift the lid on their previously undocumented pets – and tell us their pet’s* favourite animal animations, too. Read on and discover our team’s animal magic below.
*really.
Juliet, Bertie & Margot
Juliet Jessop is our fabulously creative and innovative head of content creation at SciAni. Under her inspired editorial leadership, hundreds of beautiful animations have reached thousands of hooked viewers. Imaginative and brilliant, Juliet is the guardian of two beautiful horses – meet Bertie and Margot! Born in 2007, both of her beautiful horses are now 16 years old.
Describe your superstars in 3 words
Bertie: Bold, generous, big-hearted.*
Margot: Affectionate, opinionated, loving.
*like Bertie and Margot’s animal magic pick.
What are Bertie and Margot’s quirks?
Bertie likes to frisk strangers head-to-toe to test their mettle; I think I passed the test. Margot runs first and assesses later; she’s a true friend for life once she’s worked you out – they both are.
Where are they most likely to be found?
Out grazing/socialising/snoozing – any time of day, any weather, living a happy natural retirement from the traditional horse’s life.
Watch Bertie and Margot’s animal magic (an animation that Juliet worked on – and one of her favourites too…)
How tech and big data turn animal behaviour into a welfare assessment tool
Troy & Milo Baker
Worked with us before and keep coming back for more? We know the reason why. Troy Baker is your go-to guy if you want dazzling animations – or the biggest, most exciting events. This SciAni absolute hero has a companion that’s as much a megastar as our incredibly talented Partnership & Events Manager is – meet Milo, the cuddly cat! With unrivalled interpersonal and communication skills, Troy’s ability to form instant and long-lasting connections with all he meets has clearly rubbed off on Milo. We’re already smitten.
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Fluffy, playful, cuddly.
What are Milo’s quirks?
He will be your best friend, try to use your hand as a toy…and then run up the curtains.
Where is he most likely to be found?
Either sleeping on a bed or in a pile of clothes.*
*Living. The. Dream.
Milo’s clever animal magic is a fascinating animation about the brain (mice be something to do with the characters?)
Increasing neurogenesis boosts brain function
Kate & Boo the Cockapoo
Senior project director at SciAni Kate Rossiter has brought to life countless research papers, initiatives, and innovative products in animations that shine as brightly as she does. With an unparalleled ability to turn dry into exciting, complex into understandable, and little-known to widely-reaching, Kate’s who you want on your team to make your animation project not just a reality – but a complete success. Hounding her trailblazing footsteps follows one faithful companion – Boo the Cockapoo!
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Affectionate, intelligent, energetic!
What are Boo’s quirks?
Likes to bounce along like a spring lamb!
Where is she most likely to be found?
Wherever I am!*
*and the beginnings of beautiful animations are made. Aw.
Boo’s animal magic choice is a project close to Kate’s heart. In the animation below, Kate worked hard to shine a light on research about helping owners cope with the loss of their service dogs.
How can a service dog organisation help their handlers through the loss of their relationship?
Gareth, Betty & Miff
Looking for a world-leading animator? Call the search dogs off – you’ve found Gareth Sayers, our brilliant lead animator at SciAni.
With years of experience honing stunning 2D and 3D animations for international researchers and global corporations, Gareth can turn your vision into perfect animated videos that capture your target audience’s attention. As part of a pair of two beautiful feline companions for Gareth, 18 year old Miff supports him each morning in the best way she knows how.*
Describe your superstar Miff in 3 words
Greedy, purry, chilled.
What are Miff’s quirks?
Will wake you in the morning by batting your face with her paw.
*a helpful alarm clock.
Where is she most likely to be found?
Asleep on the bed.
Describe your superstar Betty in 3 words
Soft, fast, crazy
What are Betty’s quirks?
Likes to look down on you from high-up places.
Where is she most likely to be found?
In the garden.
Revealing the reason behind Miff’s *help* getting Gareth up in the morning, here’s their animal magic animation choice based on one of their favourite things – food!
Why is minimally processed pet food best for your pet?
Mike & Monty
Project Manager Mike Chapman is a pro at transforming your creative brief into incredible animated content, guiding you each step of the way to make producing it a breeze. As well as stunning abilities to create animations to make you go *WOW*, Mike has a one year old pooch called Monty who makes us go *CUTE*!
Describe your superstar Monty in 3 words
Lively, affectionate, mischievous.*
What are Monty’s quirks?
Huffing, howling, sitting on people.
Most likely to be found
In your personal space!
*explains Monty’s animal magic pick
Monty isn’t just any boring doggo. This is clear from his naughty but nice animation pick – exuding animal magic in the forms of cute avatars and even a floating cat!
WTF is an NFT?
Sophie & Pippin
Gifted social media executive Sophie Merryfield works hard to connect with a large global audience to make sure your animation gets noticed by people all around the world.
A whizz on YouTube, Sophie promotes your content to viewers who lap up your content like her cat does milk. Meet Pippin! Eleven years old and charmingly dog-like, you can see how Pippin’s animal magic is a purr-fect choice.*
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Small, cute, needy.
What are Pippin’s quirks?
Acts like a dog!
Where is Pippin most likely to be found?
Around my neck.
* one cool cat.
Stroking or touching a cat or dog has been proven to relieve stress and anxiety, so Pippin’s clearly taking inspiration from these incredible canines when she climbs up for a cuddle with Sophie!
Can therapy dogs have a ‘pawsitive’ impact on patient pain?
Emma & Benji
Spearheading the helm of SciAni to chart new courses for animations, our incredible Managing Director, Emma Feloy, leads our efforts to bring research to life. Under her visionary strategic leadership, SciAni has flourished and cemented its success as an internationally-renowned animation studio. But behind every great woman…is sometimes a pet! Meet Benji, a caring one year old puppy who, like Emma, looks after everyone.
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Bouncy, clumsy, affectionate.
What are Benji’s quirks?
If anyone in the house sneezes, Benji will run over and nudge them to check they’re okay.*
Where is he most likely to be found?
Asleep on my feet or playing fetch.
*what a sweetheart.
Benji’s animal magic choice is driven by his compassionate nature, showing what an adorable puppy he really is.
How to reduce animal suffering with welfare biology?
Shyan & Salem
Talented Project Manager Shyan Muscat oversees beautiful and engaging animations at SciAni.
Shyan’s expertise is behind her track record of delivering high-quality productions. Choose Shyan at SciAni for animations that connect with your audiences, promoting your story in a way that resonates to deliver the results that matter to you. Supporting all the way is Salem, a three year old bundle of delight with an adorable quirk.
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Cuddle-bug, loud, goofy.
What are Salem’s quirks?
Whenever I’m doing something, and she wants attention, she’ll roll onto her back like a bunny – and just stare at me until I pay attention to her.
Where is she most likely to be found?
Her heating pad* or my lap.
*ordered, immediately.
Salem’s animal magic pick below is likely picked based on a similar meritocracy to the one used by Troy’s cat, Milo Baker.
Increasing neurogenesis rejuvenates navigational strategies and memory
April, Wilkie & Winnie
April doesn’t just mark National Pets Month; it’s also the name of our incredibly talented social media manager April Keeble. Overseeing a plethora of different social media channels, April helps make the world come to you and your animation. April also has the two cutest Pomeranians – Wilkie and Winnie! Like Monty above, they’re a bit naughty, which makes us love them even more, but they also know when it’s time to bark about things that matter.
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Naughty, loving & cuddly (oh and LOUD!)
What are Wilkie & Winnie’s quirks?
They love to eat carrots with tummy tickles.*
Where are they most likely to be found?
In bed.
*they also see very well in the dark.
Wilkie and Winnie know when to shout about things that are important – and dog lungworm is one example. Thank you to the sweet pair for drawing attention to it.
Which treatments would you choose for dog lungworm and why?
Susie & Reenie
Operations and editorial assistant Susie blows us all away with her ability to tackle any task.
Agile and responsive to all our organisational needs, Susie has the goods when it comes to making sure that SciAni runs smoothly – whatever is thrown her way. Professional, highly skilled and creative to boot, Susie is the one we all turn to when we need help with anything! Susie also has a cute bunny called Reenie! She’s an adorable rabbit, but you might not see her – as she’s likely to be hiding!
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Reserved, inquisitive, oddly self-confident.
What are Reenie’s quirky traits?
She doesn’t like to be picked up or stroked, but she’ll always want to be near me and come say hi to me with a little nose boop!
Most likely to be found
Under the kitchen table!*
*a very sensible place to be, too.
Reenie’s quite shy, but Susie told us she has a huge soft spot for the birds she can see in her garden. Enjoy Reenie’s choice of animal magic, guaranteed to make you think.
What if birds could smell?
Carly & Oreo
Ending our list with a firm favourite, Carly Houston is one of our brightest social media executives that you can rely on to get your animation noticed. Working hard behind the scenes at SciAni, Carly creates campaigns to catapult your animation into the big leagues on platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and many more. She is also the keeper of Oreo, the cutest pooch who is super smart like Carly.
Describe your superstar in 3 words
Energetic, mischievous, intelligent.
What are Oreo’s quirks?
He will happily shred his own toys to pieces but will not touch the children’s and gets very jealous if anyone else receives attention. He will literally place himself between you!
Where is he most commonly found?
On the windowsill staring at the world go by or whizzing around the local commons or woods.*
*Where this writer is about to go off to in a moment, now we’re almost at the end of this blog. 😊
Oreo’s animal magic choice is smart, just like this clever doggie. Vaccination can stop rabies in its tracks, which is why we should protect our pets with vital rabies vaccines.
Do you have the power to stop rabies?
We hope you enjoyed our blog* to celebrate National Pets Month 2023. Here’s to a fantastic April with our pets.
*This blog post was written by our feature writer Luna Dewey (who, alas, currently has no pet to call her own since her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Mia, went to meet the big sausage in the sky), with special thanks to all the team for their help, contributions and input at SciAni and Research Publishing International.