We’re proud to announce that Don’t Pet Me, our poetic animated cut‑out film exposing the hidden suffering of wild animals kept as exotic pets in Scottish homes, has won the People’s Choice Award in our category at the Smiley Charity Film Awards. 

This recognition means so much because it was entirely driven by public support. Every vote represented someone choosing to stand up for wild animals whose suffering is too often unseen. 

Your voices made this win possible and helped push this important issue into the spotlight.

Why this award matters for the campaign

The Smiley Charity Film Awards exist to elevate charitable causes and amplify their messages. Our win also secured us an incredible £3,000 grant towards our work to free Scotland’s animals from suffering. 

Winning a People’s Choice Award gives Don’t Pet Me a powerful platform to reach new audiences and shine a light on the realities faced by wild animals kept in domestic settings across Scotland. 

Over the years, the Awards have: 

• Engaged over 1 million people through public voting
• Generated more than 400 million views for charity films
• Reached 3 million viewers through the awards ceremony 

This level of visibility helps ensure that the suffering of wild animals kept as pets can no longer be ignored.

Don’t Pet Me: wild animals are not pets

Don’t Pet Me is more than just a film — it’s part of a wider campaign led alongside Born Free and the Scottish SPCA. Together, we are calling on the Scottish Government to introduce a legal permitted list of animals allowed to be kept as pets. 

Such a list would include only those species whose physical, behavioural, and welfare needs can realistically be met in a typical home. This would help prevent the neglect, inappropriate living conditions, unmet dietary and habitat needs, and lack of specialist care that so many wild animals currently endure in domestic settings. 

Act now: help protect wild animals

Sign the petition calling for a legal permitted list and help end the suffering of wild animals kept in people’s homes. 

Sign the petition

Wild animals belong in the wild. These creatures deserve to thrive in their natural habitats — not live confined lives behind glass, in cages, or in unsuitable homes. Together, we can make change happen.