Dog Owner fined £2,000
Phillip Pook, 48 from Ogmore-by-Sea, has become the first person to be prosecuted in Britain for using an electric shock collar on his dog. Last year, Wales was the first part of the UK to ban the collars. Mr Pook denied any knowledge of their illegality, by stressing that such collars are legal in England, evidently however, this makes no difference to the law set in Wales.
Mr Pook admitted to using the collar to stop his border collie jumping over a wall. The court was told the collar emitted its electric shock when the dog wearing it went near a specific fence or wall surrounding Mr Pook's property, as it had a tendency to try and escape. Prosecutor David Prosser said: “This is the first prosecution under the regulations for this type of collar. It operates like an electric fence, and if the dog approaches the boundaries or tries to escape it instantly sends an electric shock to the dog's neck.”
As of March 2010, the current regulations state using a collar is an offence punishable with up to 51 weeks imprisonment. Their use is indeed still legal in England and Scotland but is being debated in both parliaments.
Leading bodies such as RSPCA, and The Kennel Club have all welcomed the prosecution. One spokeswoman expressed such collars are “a cruel and outdated” training tool. The Dog's Trust agreed emphatically describing them as“unacceptable, unnecessary and ineffective.”
In opposition to those who view such collars as acceptable or necessary, The Dog's Trust declared:
“[Dogs] should be trained using kind, fair and reward-based methods. These are proven to be highly successful in modifying behaviour including aggression, without subjecting dogs to cruelty.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
