Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister announces complete ban on the use of
Electronic Collars for dogs and cats: Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister,
Elin Jones, has today [Wednesday 24 February] announced that subject to
approval by the National Assembly for Wales, the use of collars
designed to administer an electric shock to dogs or cats will be banned
in Wales.
The ban is the first of its kind in the UK.
The announcement follows a third consultation on the draft legislation, held between 21 December 2009 and 9 February 2010.
The majority of the responses to all three consultations support the
view that Electronic Training devices (electronic collars) should not
be used and that there are effective positive training alternatives.
The Minister has today laid the legislation, the Animal Welfare
(Electronic Collars) (Wales) Regulations 2010 before the Assembly,
which will need to consider and agree the legislation in due course
before a ban can be implemented.
Announcing her decision, the Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones said:
“On 25 June 2008 I announced my intention, subject to consultation,
to introduce legislation to ban the use of electronic training devices
in Wales.
“Following careful consideration of the responses to the
consultation and with a view to enhancing animal welfare in Wales, I
have today laid legislation before the National Assembly for Wales
which will ban the use of electric shock collars in Wales.
“This has not been an easy subject to examine. There is genuinely a
large degree of concern about how these devices are improperly used, in
contrast to responses from people who have used them and found they
have worked in stopping an animal from misbehaving.
“However, the Welsh Assembly Government takes animal welfare very
seriously and I am confident that the approach I am announcing today
will go a long way to promote the welfare of dogs and cats in Wales.
Following consideration of the responses on the second consultation,
Ministers agreed to tighten up the original proposals by removing the
exemptions subject to use in clinical situations or the use by the
police using tasers.
The Minister also confirmed that the Welsh Assembly Government has
notified the European Commission the intention to make these
Regulations twice under the terms of the Technical Standards Directive.

so not even a professional trainer can use one then ... if an e-collar is the dogs last hope... it hasnt even got this now ...

i only agree with these collars if theyre used for proper reasons.... but you always get the idiots that mis-use them.... same with anything