George Eustice MP

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for for farming, food and marine environment

DEFRA

Nobel House

17 Smith Square

London SW1P 3JR

Date: 27^th October 2014

Dear George,

I have been in touch with Lord Henley previously about the use of pinch collars and electronic training devices, which are widely considered as an unnecessarily cruel method of dog training. A number of my constituents advocate banning the use of such devices and I agree.

Such devices are worn around a dog’s neck and work either to deliver an electric shock or pinch to the neck of a dog automatically when a dog barks or when triggered by a remote device. They train a dog to respond out of fear of further punishment, rather than from a natural willingness to obey. Electric training devices or pinch collars are also not very effective as they generally fail to address underlying behavioural problems or can cause further behavioural complications.

I am sure you are aware of DEFRA funded studies published in 2013 (AW1402 and AW1402a) which concluded there were significant negative welfare consequences for some of the dogs that were trained with electric shock collars. There is also a wealth of other evidence that highlights the detrimental impact electric shock collars may have on dog welfare.

Electric shock collars are already banned in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Australia (in most states), Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Slovenia.  The Welsh government also banned electric shock collars in 2010.

There are many, positive, training tools and methods that can train dogs just as (if not more) quickly and reliably, with absolutely no fear, pain, or potential damage to the relationship between dog and handler. Moreover, guidance on how to best use electric shock and pinch collars is not sufficient to fully protect the welfare of all dogs, because it relies on dog owners.

With positive alternative methods and tools available to the public, there is no need for electric shock or pinch collar training devices and I would join my constituents in urging you to bring forward a ban as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,