Shock collars have been a controversial part of pet behavioural training for a while now, with animal welfare groups campaigning against them as a heavy handed and barbaric way to discipline unruly animals which could easily be replaced by better training methods. Now, the Welsh Assembly has voted in favour of a complete ban of the collars, with penalties of up to £20,000 and six months in prison for using them.
While I think the penalties are a little excessive (obviously they are the worst-case, but still), the ban itself does make sense. I’m not a fan of the electric collars and find that when they are used, they simply result in a pet which is no longer trusting of its handlers even if its behaviour improves.
Still, what do you guys think?