Amidst fears that the UK Government could backtrack on its commitment to outlawing shock collars through the Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023, the RSPCA is calling on the public calling for the ban to be enacted.
Esme Wheeler, RSPCA dog welfare expert, said, “Shock collars can cause fear and pain in dogs and cats – and have been illegal in Wales for more than a decade, since being outlawed there in 2010.
“We have grave welfare concerns about these devices. We were delighted when the UK Government announced they would be banned from February in England next year – but we have been left concerned that lobbying from pro-shock collar groups will leave the pledge in tatters, as there’s been a worrying lack of progress in recent months.
“Put simply, these devices are cruel and cause pain and distress in animals and a u-turn on the ban would be detrimental to animal welfare. We urge animal-lovers to take part in our campaign and email their MP asking them to put pressure on the UK Government to keep their promise to England’s dogs and cats.”
“Defra is being inundated with emails from lobbyists – many reportedly with a commercial interest in keeping shock collars”
RSPCA concerns about the future of a ban on shock collar follows the UK Government recently dropping its Kept Animals Bill, which had been a cornerstone of its animal welfare platform, and the
Esme added, “Banning shock collars seems a no-brainer for any administration which cares about the welfare of pets. So it was really positive when the UK Government brought forward legislation earlier this year to do this and initially all seemed well as it cleared the House of Lords without breaking a sweat. But there is growing concern that Ministers are getting cold feet amid weeks of agonising silence.
“Defra is being inundated with emails from lobbyists – many reportedly with a commercial interest in keeping shock collars and worryingly, there are rumours abound that Defra might be listening. This is why we need to take action now and we urge animal-lovers to join us in putting pressure on the UK Government.”