The animal talent agency behind hit TV shows including Doc Martin and All Creatures Great and Small has collapsed into administration. First Choice Animals, which is run by Jill Clark, 66, from Lincolnshire and her son Dean, 43, has trained its two and four-legged clients for gigs including major TV dramas, films and long-running soaps since it was founded in 1987. The firm's high-profile features have included All Creatures Great and Small, ITV's Doc Martin, the 2012 London Olympics and the 2003 Rowan Atkinson film Johnny English.
It is described on its website as a “world-renowned animal talent agency” with offices in Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, France and South Africa, with a training philosophy of “positive reinforcement and reward-based techniques”. A notice of insolvency was filed on December 15, 2025, according to the London Gazette, through a creditors' voluntary liquidation process, where directors voluntarily choose to wind a company down.
Ms Clark spoke to the Express about her decision to adopt a Pekingese puppy named Derek who she trained for Channel 5's All Creatures Great and Small in 2020, recounting the shooting schedule and her friendship with star Dame Diana Rigg.
“He's one-take Derek,” she said. “He gets it right every time. He got all his takes. The actors say the only time they finished early was when the animals were on set. We never held them up.”
“A normal dog can take two years, but with Derek it was just six weeks,” she added. “He was born for TV work. I don't know how to explain his character but he's just a dude! Such a cracking little dog.”
First Choice Animals was similarly responsible for training a handful of other dogs for the Channel 5 drama, including a daschund, an Alsace, a border collie and a Yorkshire terrier.
Her son also looked after larger animals for the series, including a huge bull named Jester, she told the Express.
In an interview with Woman and Home, published three days ago, Ms Clark said she had decided to found the agency after training her own border collie for a Post Office advert and realizing that she had a knack for it.
“I've trained everything from cats and dogs to parrots and budgies on Eastenders,” she said. “I even trained pigeons for Paddington in Peru! The best part of being an animal trainer is helping the animals grow into talented actors. They really do love learning, which makes them a joy to teach. It beats a nine-to-five job any day.”
While the insolvency filing did not specify the reasons behind the decision, UK small business closures have surged in the last year amid rising costs and reduced consumer spending – with major retailers including Poundland, WHSmith and New Look also scaling back their portfolios in response to the trend.
The Express has reached out to Jill Clark for comment.