Supplementary memorandum submitted by
The Kennel Club
ELECTRIC SHOCK
COLLARS FOR
DOGS
The suggestion was made at the Efra Committee
meeting on 8 September that the solution to the issue surrounding
the use of electronic shock collars on dogs may be to license
them. The idea was to find a compromise between their current
unrestricted availability and use and a total ban on them which
is what the Kennel Club and others are seeking.
We oppose the idea of licensing shock collars
for the following reasons:
— It is difficult to see exactly how
this system would be organised. Would it be a question of licensing
the user or of licensing the seller?
— If it is the seller who is licensed,
this offers no protection to dogs as any adult would still be
able to buy them. If, as was suggested, they are only allowed
to sell to trainers, this places a huge burden on retailers as
they require proof from customers. How are shopkeepers to know
who is a genuine trainer and who has come in with a piece of DIY
letterhead? It will not prevent people obtaining collars under
false pretences.
— If a user needs a licence, what criteria
would be applied to ensure that he or she was a fit and proper
person to have a licence, who would administer a licence and,
how would it be enforced?
— A third option discussed was for
vets to issue a permit or licence to an owner having difficulty
with a dog. The vast majority of vets are not behaviourists or
dog trainers, and therefore they are not qualified to diagnose
canine behavioural problems. We feel this option would be unworkable.
— With any of the above options, it
would be hard to find adequate criteria for issuing a licence
that satisfactorily protected dogs from abuse, and any system
would be very bureaucratic.
— Even if there is a licensing system,
using electric shocks to train dogs is cruel and inhumane and
has no place in a civilised society. There has been so much progress
in dog training and controlling dog behaviour that the use of
electric shock collars is totally unjustified even in a small
number of cases where a dog is badly behaved.
In the interests of dog welfare, the Kennel
Club urges you and the rest of the Committee to recommend a total
ban on the sale and use of electronic shock collars.
September 2004
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