Thoughts on man being fined for using a Shock Collar

[Jennifer and Jack]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14181927

 

 

Apparently these are illegal in his Country. I personally am not a fan of shock collars or electric fences unless the owner really really knows how to use them and train their dog accordingly. Then I think they are fine as long as the dog learns quickly and is not continually shocked as in for training purposes

 

Do you think that someday they will be illegal to use in the US, do you think the humane society will step in?

 

http://http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14181927 

[Adina P]

Gosh I hope not.  They are a tool, and like any tool can be misused.  But so can knives and boots and guns and chains and collars and rope and leashes and crates and food.  I'm not a fan of banning perfectly useful training tools because some idiot thought of a way to abuse the tool.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Adina, this man was not misusing the tool, He shocked his dog to teach him to not jump over a fence, that was all, He got a very hefty fine for it. I personally have seen a lot of misuse,misunderstanding and just plain stupidity when it comes to people and using a shock collar, I agree that anything can be misused given the right circumstance but I can't help but wonder, if it is a more dangerous tool because people don't really understand how to use the shock collar. It isn't the animals fault the owner doesn't bother to learn, and since using a gun most people understand it can be harmful and dangerous it is a little safer so to speak

 

I have seen some seriously emotionally traumatized dogs that were very loved by their owners, but because the owners did not use the collar right the dog basically went insane with anxiety and never learned a thing other then nothing was predictable and that if they do the wrong thing what ever it is, they will be shocked.

 

Unfortunately most people are not as considerate as you are when it comes to training.

[Adina P]

Pretty much all remote collars come with a booklet or training manual and most, if not all, have customer service one can call for more info or guidance.  I guess I don't want to lose MY right to ever use such tools because other people can't seem to figure them out.  Not American in any way.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I understand how you feel, and since dogs are still possessions, they don't in and of themselves have the right to have rights that trump a humans right to do what they want to some extent.

 

Just like airbag warnings come in cars about not putting children in the front of a car, it is still done where I live, when I was a Peds Er nurse I saw things that parents had the right to do, that incidentally killed their kids, Not that pets are humans, but I believe they should have more rights then they do actually have.

 

That being said, I don't personally have an issue with anyone who is responsible to use the collar but perhaps instead of instructions you should be required to take a class before they are given out or sold.

 

I am a dreamer  I know.... and certainly in a country that does not punish a women for not reporting her missing child for over a month, dogs are low on the totem pole

[Adina P]

It's not so much THAT as much as the fact it is a perfectly useful and safe tool in and of itself.  I'd rather the work and money that would be put into banning be doubled and actual cruelty cases be better addressed than to mess with the rights of those who are capable of reading instructions and using common sense.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In the UK, the laws about what can be put into pet food are also much stricter than they are here. Apparently they care more about dogs over there.

I doubt any laws against shock collars or electric fences will ever be enacted in the the U.S. We can barely get any laws passed against actual blatant cruelty here.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Do they have better quality food then our best quality that we have here, or just in general, they don't sell Pedigree or Alpo? I am all for the advancement of animals being treated better and way stricter guidelines here.. way stricter, even if it feels like an infringement on other people's rights...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It isn't a question of the brands they sell, it's the ingredients that are allowed to be used in them. There are all kinds of questionable additives, preservatives, synthetic vitamins, etc. that are allowed in products sold here, but not in Europe. Just like Coke sold in Mexico has to contain real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Even the crappy dog food brands in Europe are better than their counterparts here.

I used to think it must have something to do with the fact that these other countries have universal health care, so maybe they're more concerned about people's health because they have a financial interest in it; but that wouldn't apply to pets. I can't help but think it really has more to do with just not being quite so concerned with the bottom line at the expense of everything else.

Anyway, that wasn't the topic of your discussion, lol.

 

[L.M.]

I agree....It's hard enough to throw people in jail when they are cruel to other HUMANS never mind animals.  Until our society totally changes its values toward A LOT of things, shock collars and people who misuse them will be around for a loooooong time...... Sorry for the negativity (I swear I'm generally an optimistic person, but for some things I have to call 'em like I see 'em).

[Camilla and Darwin]

Also, the kennel club in the UK does not allow ear cropping. In fact, I think that in England and Wales it's illegal, period.

[Jennifer and Jack]

and how do you feel about that Camilla, just out of curiosity?

[Camilla and Darwin]

I am not sure.  I am a person that tends to think there is a valid argument either side of any issue. So I try to be objective.

 

Instinctively, I am against cropping or docking ears and tails for cosmetic purposes. Dew claws I understand, because there are health/safety reasons for doing that. Let's put it this way. If I had a Great Dane I would not choose to crop it's ears. So I feel the cropped ears ban is a positive one, a step in the right direction.