Tom Cruise 'made sure not to land on a cat': Meet the woman who trains Ireland's animal actors

Animal trainer Mary Owens tells Helen O’Callaghan about the cats that weren’t phased by Tom Cruise’s fighting power, the cow that didn’t mind being lifted and the Jack Russell who eavesdropped on his owner’s conversation.

When Mary Owens puts out a Facebook appeal for a golden Labrador or a pug, chances are she’ll find an animal just right for the silver screen.

Mary, an animal trainer along with Rita Moloney at Fircroft Animal Actors, has been training animals for roles for almost 40 years, ever since her collie, Tansy, became the studio dog for RTE’s Youngline.