The Kennel Club has welcomed the announcement by Cabinet Secretary for the Environment Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham MSP to ban the use of electric shock collars in Scotland.
The announcement follows a series of consultations, culminating in a meeting hosted by the Kennel Club during which welfare, veterinary and behaviour organisations all came together to call on the Scottish Government to follow the example of the Welsh Assembly and ban the use of shock collars in Scotland. Petitions were also tabled by prominent MSPs including Maurice Golden and Ben Macpherson which attracted 25,000 signatures.
Although the collars are marketed as harmless, and range in price between £10 and over £200, shock collars train dogs out of fear and pain, rather than a natural willingness to obey. They cause anxiety-related behaviours, re-directed aggression and, of course, physical pain to dogs. Extensive research has proved that training a dog with a shock collar is harmful and unnecessary, given the vast array of positive dog training tools and techniques available, which is why the devices are banned not only in Wales, but in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Germany and in some territories of Australia, including New South Wales and Southern Australia.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: “It is a huge relief to know that the Minister has taken on board the advice of leading academics, vets, behaviourists and welfare organisations and will ban the use of shock collars in Scotland. This sends the clearest possible message to dog owners that, far from being a harmless quick fix training solution, shock collars cause long term physical and psychological harm to dogs and that training them in this manner is unacceptable. It is critical now that Westminster government does the right thing for dog welfare and follows Scotland’s ban with a ban of its own on the sale and use of electric shock collars.”
SNP MSP Ben Macpherson said: “The Scottish Government’s decision to ban the use of shock collars and electronic ‘training aids’ capable of causing pain or distress to dogs is an extremely positive move. I will now continue to work with animal welfare organisations and SNP colleagues to push the UK Government to play its part and ban the sale and distribution of shock collars across the UK.”