BRISTOL, VA, UNITED STATES, May 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Professional Animal Trainer and Production Coordinator Combines Ethical Training Practices, USDA-Compliant Animal Care, and Entertainment Industry Expertise for Media Productions
Mansfield, Massachusetts — Marisa Bellis is the Founder and Owner of Acting Like Animals LLC, a USDA-licensed animal training company specialized in both the coordination and training of animals for film, television, and entertainment productions. She has built her career around combining her lifelong passion for animals with professional work in the entertainment industry.
Marisa’s connection to animals began as early in life as one can remember. Born and raised in NYC, her love for all animals led to work experiences with horses, monkeys, primates, tigers, cheetahs, dogs, cats, birds, and fish- to name a few. Her background and skills culminated in a multifaceted career of animal behavior and training, animal welfare advocacy, and the exciting world of film production.
Today, Marisa oversees all operational, training, and regulatory aspects of running a federally licensed animal training business while maintaining strict compliance with USDA regulations and inspection standards. As President and Head Animal Trainer of Acting Like Animals LLC, she provides comprehensive production support for film, television, commercial, and streaming projects requiring trained animal performers.
Her company specializes in positive reinforcement training techniques for both domestic and exotic animals, preparing them to safely perform scripted behaviors for entertainment media. Marisa works closely with directors, producers, and creative teams to coordinate animal action sequences while prioritizing safety, ethical treatment, and adherence to established animal welfare guidelines. Throughout her career, she has contributed to major film, television, advertising, and streaming productions for globally recognized clients including: Google, Animal Planet, Bose, Hasbro, Blink, Arbella, Shark, and productions associated with HBO, Disney, Paramount, Apple, Netflix, and Hulu.
In addition to her production work, Marisa has extensive experience in animal safety advocacy and media oversight. She previously served as a certified Animal Humane Officer and animal safety representative, overseeing animal welfare protocols on more than 100 film and television productions. Her work in these roles focused on ensuring ethical treatment, production compliance, and safe working conditions for animals involved in entertainment projects.
Marisa’s educational background further supports her multidisciplinary expertise. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Photojournalism, a Degree in Equine Management, and various certifications in both horse and dog training. Together, those disciplines provide her with a unique combination of technical animal behavior knowledge, production coordination experience, photography skills, and storytelling insight; and as such, she is also a published photographer and writer.
Marisa attributes much of her success to a strong personal work ethic, transparency with clients, and a willingness to invest significant time and preparation into projects to ensure they are completed properly — even when that preparation requires personal sacrifice or financial loss. She also credits much of her growth to closely observing experienced professionals within the industry, learning from their methods, and refining those techniques into her own approach and training philosophy.
One of the most impactful pieces of career advice Marisa has received is to stop looking for shortcuts, push through fear, and learn through direct experience. She strongly believes success comes from doing the work, taking opportunities when they arise, and accepting that both successes and failures are valuable learning experiences.
That same philosophy shapes the advice she offers young women entering the animal training and production industries. Marisa encourages aspiring professionals to embrace hard work, ask thoughtful questions, and remain willing to learn continuously. She believes mistakes are an inevitable part of growth and emphasizes the importance of pushing through fear of failure while continuing to improve through hands-on experience.
Marisa also emphasizes professionalism, humility, and self-awareness within highly collaborative production environments. In her view, trusting oneself, respecting industry processes, and remaining committed to growth are essential for building long-term credibility and success.
When discussing the future of the industry, Marisa recognizes that one of the greatest challenges currently facing professional animal trainers is the increasing use of artificial intelligence and CGI technology to replace live animal performances, particularly for exotic animals and high-risk stunt work. She notes that this shift has reduced opportunities for some traditional animal training roles within productions.
At the same time, she also expresses concern about the growing number of inexperienced trainers entering the field without proper animal handling knowledge or production experience, which can create safety risks and negatively impact both animal welfare and production quality.
Despite those challenges, Marisa believes there will always be an important place for real animals in entertainment because they bring authenticity, emotional connection, and a spontaneous realism that audiences continue to value. She also notes that, for now, live animal performances can often remain more cost-effective and practical than extensive CGI alternatives depending on the production.
Honesty, transparency, and realism are among the values Marisa considers most important in both her professional and personal life. She believes strong communication, ethical treatment, and realistic expectations are critical for maintaining trust with both clients and collaborators.
Through her work, Marisa Bellis delivers reliable, safe, and high-quality animal performances for film, television, and entertainment media productions nationwide.
Learn More about Marisa Bellis:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Marisa-Bellis or through her website, https://www.actinglikeanimalsllc.com/
Influential Women
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