Leading animal welfare charity Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement that it will be banning electric shock collars.
In a Holyrood debate today, MSPs debated the use of these training aids, with Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham stating that the Scottish Government had listened to concerns raised by animal welfare groups and the Scottish public, and will ban their use after a short consultation on how to enforce the plans.
Battersea cares for thousands of dogs every year, many of which require careful and patient work around challenging behaviours. The charity has long campaigned against the use of electric shock collars, which operate by delivering an electric shock to the animal and responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the issue, asserting that shock collars are both unnecessary and cruel.
Dee McIntosh, Director of Communications and External Affairs at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, said:
“Battersea welcomes the Scottish Government’s announcement that they will ban electric shock collars on dogs. Battersea has long called for these cruel training devices to be prohibited, as it is never acceptable to apply electric shocks to an animal.”
“We believe positive reinforcement techniques, such as reward-based training, are far more effective at changing a dog's behaviour without inflicting unnecessary pain. We are greatly encouraged by the Scottish Government’s decision and urge the UK Government to follow their example.”