Charity calls for cat and dog shock collar ban

ManxSPCA has launched a petition calling for a ban on electric shock collars

An animal welfare charity has called for the use of electric shock collars on dogs and cats to be banned on the Isle of Man.

The devices are used to train pets by delivering electric shocks to the neck of an animal to control its behaviour.

In a petition calling for the ban, the ManxSPCA said e-collars caused "fear, stress, and long-term emotional harm" to the animals, adding: "Our pets deserve compassion, not cruelty."

A Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture (Defa) spokesperson said use of the devices was currently legal on the Isle of Man, but it was "aware of significant welfare concerns associated with their use".

The government previously gathered feedback on proposals to make it illegal to use them in a 2023 public consultation.

That was not progressed after about 78% of those who responded said using e-collars should not be an offence.

However, at the time of publishing the results, Defa said there were "a significant number of responses" that appear to be from outside of the Isle of Man.

The ManxSPCA is now calling for the government to "reissue a more robust public consultation, and publicise it more effectively" locally.

It said UK government commissioned research had shown dogs trained with shock collars "showed signs of anxiety, fear, and avoidance" and were "less playful, less confident, and less trusting" even after the collar was removed.

The petition calls for a ban on the sale, possession, and use of the collars, the promotion of "positive, science-based training methods", and the protection of animals from the "fear, pain, and unnecessary suffering" caused by the devices.

The ManxSPCA said the collars cause stress to the animals that could outlast the use of the device

Krysia Boruch from the organisation said methods of training animals had changed so much over the years that the collars were "outdated" as there were now "far better" ways of shaping an animal's behaviour.

She said the ban was needed because the collars were "easy to get hold of" and there were no rules or regulations about what they could be used on.

In a statement Defa said it was continuing to work on secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2023 - which introduced a duty of care for pet owners to protect their animals from pain, suffering, injury or disease.

The department said it was also "preparing a public consultation on the licensing of animal activities, which will consider welfare issues further".

The use of the devices on cats and dogs has been banned in Wales since 2010, but similar bans have yet to be implemented in England and Scotland.