The
UK’s biggest organisation dedicated to the health and welfare of dogs has
written to Zac Goldsmith, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) Minister, to urge swift action to implement a ban on the use of
electric shock collars in England, following a Court of Appeal judgment last
week which dismissed the appeal of the Electronic Collar Manufacturers
Association and Petsafe Ltd.
The
outcome of the legal challenge, which had previously delayed DEFRA from
bringing about any legislative action, saw the appeal from the Electric Collar
Manufacturers Association and Petsafe Ltd thrown out, as the Government
presented evidence to demonstrate that electric shock collars can have a
detrimental effect on the welfare of dogs. This ruling was a crowning victory
in the case against electric shock collars last week after the Government also
announced a new Action Plan for Animal Welfare. This flagship plan aims to
ensure the UK is leading the way in animal welfare and includes a ban on the
use of electric shock collars, a move which has been long-campaigned for by The
Kennel Club. The Government’s intentions in this direction were also
outlined in the Queen’s Speech.
“The
Court of Appeal judgment should be the final step on this hard fought path to
ban the use of electric shock collars in England and we have written to the
Minister to urge that the strong words and commitments made are swiftly
converted into action,” commented Dr Ed Hayes, Head of Public Affairs at The
Kennel Club. “We are delighted that the Government has committed to banning
these unnecessary and cruel devices in their action plan; research demonstrates
that a reward-based approach is more effective than delivering painful electric
shocks when training dogs and leading veterinary bodies in the UK and
Europe are aligned in their opposition against shock collars.
“We
have been extensively lobbying the UK Government and the devolved
administrations for years on this issue. The Government previously committed to
banning these harmful devices however the legal challenge, which has now
finally been brought to a close, had considerably delayed DEFRA from acting.
There is now no room to lose the forward momentum in bringing about the ban.”
Research
funded by DEFRA demonstrated that electronic collars can have a detrimental
effect on the welfare of dogs by causing them unnecessary harm and suffering,
with 25 percent of dogs trained with shock collars showing signs of stress.
The
use and sale of electric shock collars is currently not prohibited in England,
with Wales being the only nation with regulations in place which prevent their
use. In Scotland, there is guidance against the use of shock collars, but The
Kennel Club is lobbying Holyrood to explicitly ban the devices via legislation.
More
information on The Kennel Club’s campaign against the use of electric shock
collars and what dog-lovers can do to support the ban across the UK is
available online.
