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Animal welfare charities strike back against Gove over electric collars

Animal welfare charities including the RSPCA and The Kennel Club have penned an open letter saying the decision to reverse a planned ban on electric collars is “two steps forward, one step back for animal welfare”.

Environment secretary Michael Gove announced yesterday that the government plans to allow the use of electric collars in the case of containment fences near railway tracks and roads.

In the letter released today, charities call plans “worrying” and say there is “no evidence” to support claims they save lives. With the letter saying due to the fact that containment fencing is invisible, the dog has no idea where a shock has come from.

The letter goes on to mention dogs who cross containment fences and cannot find their way back and continue to receive shocks.

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Caroline Kisko, secretary at The Kennel Club said: “The Kennel Club was very disappointed to hear Michael Gove’s recent comments regarding the government’s proposed ban on electronic training aids and a possible exemption for invisible electric fencing.

“This method has been proven to cause physical harm to animals and can in fact be counterproductive. We therefore urge Mr Gove to maintain a strong position against all cruel electronic training devices.”

Yesterday’s announcement saw Gove confirm the collars will still be banned from use in training.

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