The Kennel Club calls for a ban on electric shock collars in UK
The UK’s largest organisation devoted to dog health, welfare and training – the Kennel Club – joined forces with Matthew Offord MP in Parliament on 7 June at an event calling for a ban on the use and sale of electric shock collars in the UK. The event for MPs raised awareness of the negative effects of electric shock collars on dog welfare and gave MPs in attendance the opportunity to try out one of the painful devices on themselves.
Electric shock collars are fitted around a dog’s neck and deliver an electric shock via a remote control or automatic trigger. They train dogs out of fear of further punishment by administering shocks to the dog when they do not perform what is asked of them.
Research published by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) concluded that the use of electric shock collars as a training method has a long term negative welfare impact on dogs. Furthermore, an independent survey commissioned by the Kennel Club in 2014 found that 73 per cent of the British public are against the use of electric shock collars and 74 per cent would support the Government in introducing a ban on their use.
The MPs who attended the event in Parliament to show their support to the Kennel Club’s campaign against the sale and use of electric shock collars were:
- Andrea Jenkyns, Conservative, Morley and Outwood
- Chris Stephens, SNP, Glasgow South West
- Danny Kinanhan, Ulster Unionist Party, South Antrim
- Matthew Offord (who sponsored the event), Conservative, Hendon
- Rob Flello, Labour, Stoke on Trent South
- Martin Docherty, SNP, West Dunbartonshire
- Graham Evans, Conservative, Weaver Vale
- Angela Rayner, Labour, Ashton Under Lyme
- Heather Wheeler, Conservative, South Derbyshire
- Scott Mann, Conservative, North Cornwall
- Alan Brown, SNP, Kilmarnock and Loudoun
- Mark Durkan, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “We are very thankful to the twelve MPs who came to show their support for a ban on electric shock collars and we hope to continue to engage with them and other MPs on our work to improve dog welfare through a ban on these cruel devices.”
The Kennel Club strongly believes that every dog should be trained using humane, reward-based methods. These are proven to be highly successful in modifying behaviour including aggression, without subjecting dogs to pain or cruelty.
Find out more about the campaign to ban electric shock collars.