A SHOCKING WAY TO TREAT A DOG
Dumfriesshire MSP joins leading dog welfare organisations call for a ban on electric shock collars in Scotland
Dumfriesshire MSP Elaine Murray has called on the Scottish Government to ban electronic shock collars in Scotland during a debate in the Scottish Parliament on 9th January.
Speaking in the chamber, Elaine Murray said:
“We ought to have banned these devices years ago. We must return to considering a ban either by using section 23 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 as was suggested back in 2006, or through any forthcoming legislation on responsible dog ownership.”
She then joined forces with two of the UK’s largest dog welfare organisations, the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust, in the Scottish Parliament today (8 January) at an event for MSPs, sponsored by Christine Grahame MSP to raise awareness of the negative effects of electric shock collars on dog welfare where she and other MSPs tried out the painful device 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 earlier this year found that 73 per cent of the Scottish public are against the use of electric shock collars and 74 per cent would support the Scottish Government in introducing a ban on their use.
The Kennel Club and Dogs Trust strongly believe 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 cruelty.
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