England has banned the use of electric dog collars saving half a million dogs from the painful device.
The new legislation will come into effect from February 1 next year following a ten year campaign to ban shock collars.
Often used as a training device, the collars deliver an electric shock to a dog’s neck via a remote control, up to a radius of two miles.
It means even a dog not within sight of its owner could still be shocked – and for up to 11 seconds at a time.
With one in 20 dog owners reportedly using electric shock collars, a complete ban on their use across the UK should mean half a million dogs will be freed from being trained by the devices.
Charity The Club Kennel welcomed the ban as a "historic moment for animal welfare."
CEO Mark Beazley commented: "The legislation banning electric shock collars in England, which comes into force next year, is a historic moment for animal welfare and will put an end to the misery and suffering of countless dogs who are still subject to these cruel and unnecessary devices.
"There is simply no excuse for using these devices, which cause physical and psychological harm, especially given the vast array of positive training methods available."
However, not all people working with animals are happy with the result after warnings that it would lead to "animal welfare disaster."
The National Sheep Association warned last year that scrapping the training device would be "utterly irresponsible".
More than 200 sheep farmers from across England reported an increasing number of “distressing and harrowing” dog attacks, according to a report by the Daily Telegraph.
They warned that plans are "misguided in the extreme" in a letter to Boris and Carrie Johnson who campaigned in favour of the ban when it was first announced in 2018.
“This is the culmination of over a decade of campaigning for us and we applaud Defra for helping to safeguard the welfare of our nation’s much-loved dogs.
"More action is urgently needed in Scotland, where regulations are needed to replace the ineffective guidance currently in place, and we will not rest until we see the complete ban on these devices that cause suffering and harm.”
The announcement of the ban came from Westminster 13 years after the cruel devices were banned in Wales under the Animal Welfare Regulations.
They have also recently been banned in France, as of January 2023.
A cross-welfare organisation event was held in Westminster in November 2022, co-hosted by The Kennel Club.
The organisation also continues to ramp up its campaign to see regulations introduced in Scotland.
Last month, it hosted a drop-in session for MSPs with MSP Christine Graham and the Scottish SPCA after the Scottish Government’s guidance, condemning the use of shock collars in 2018, was shown to be ineffective.
There is wide-ranging evidence demonstrating the detrimental effect that these can have on the welfare of dogs.
In 2019, a study carried out by the University of Lincoln showed that electric shock collars compromised dog’s well-being, even when used by ‘professional’ e-collar trainers, and were no more effective in training than positive reinforcement methods.
