Electric dog collars campaign reaches Westminster
Campaigners from The Kennel Club, Dogs Trust, RSPCA, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the British Veterinary Association and Blue Cross this week attended a Westminster event to call for an England-wide ban on electric shock collars on dogs.
A ban on the training devices, which deliver an electric shock to a dog’s neck, was agreed by ministers in 2018 but has yet to come into effect.
The campaigners point to studies showing that the devices can have a serious impact on the welfare of dogs, including behavioural and physiological signs of distress.
The event was sponsored by Justin Tomlinson, MP for North Swindon, who has long been a campaigner on animal welfare. He said: “For several years we have been calling on the government to carry out their commitment and bring forward plans to ban electric shock collars, and I hope that this event shows the breadth of support we have in carrying out this mission.
“Wide-ranging evidence proves that not only do they harm our four-legged friends, but shock collars fundamentally also do not fix the root cause of ‘undesirable’ behaviour and can often cause more harm than good.”
Black Country MP John Spellar has also backed the campaign, urging the government to ban the use of “cruel” electric shock collars on dogs “without further delays”.
Opponents of the ban include the National Sheep Association which has warned that in Wales, where a ban is already in place, there has been an increase in both attacks on sheep and the number of dogs shot by farmers.
One Comment
andi jackson
I think the fact they are referring to them as “shock” collars speaks volumes.
They don’t give a “shock” to the dog, they are like a tens machine and stimulate the muscle.
Mis-use of tools and lack of education is what causes mistreatment/abuse.
Buying cheap ones of anything is what can cause pain, abuse, but to do that they have to be in the wrong hands.
E-collars are used very successfully and effectively without any adverse effect on the dog when use correctly.
Even deaf dogs can wear them so at least then they can enjoy being a dog and have the freedom of being off lead with the owner knowing that with just the press of a button their dog will happily return to them for their treat.
The Welsh farmers are calling for their ban to be lifted as they have had more sheep/lambs slaughtered and had to shoot dogs than the rest of England.
The issue is never the tool, it’s always the operator!!
Like anything including a collar/harness and lead, if you use them wrong you can cause harm to your dog!!
It should be about educating owners, owners should have to do a basic dog obedience course before even getting a dog, dogs nowadays are either treated like a baby or thrown away when the owners cannot get them to do something.
Dogs are not babies, more and more kids are being attacked because people are not treating dogs like a dog, their not respecting the dog, their not saying no to the dog. Yet when the dog shows discomfort (growl) or that has been ignored and the dog bites, the dog is put down.
Dogs chasing is a natural instinct, a dog is a preditor, before allowing that dog off lead you have to have good recall.
Train your dog! Something very few people bother to do nowadays Until there is an issue.
Training should be done to avoid issues!!