Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue is to introduce regulations in the coming months to ban the use of electric collars on dogs and cats.
The move follows months of “significant consultation” on the issue, he told RTÉ radio’s Today Show.
The regulations will not have an impact on electric fences as animals can avoid them. The target is electric shock collars which can be used on dogs and cats to control their behaviour, and in some circumstances can be used for training.
However, people who already have remote controlled electric collars on their animals will not be required to remove them. The plan is to phase out use of such control methods, the Minister said, adding that it was a proportionate response.
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Mr McConalogue said that he did not anticipate a rush to purchase such items before they are banned. They were not broadly used, but it was a significant issue from a welfare point of view and the new regulations were necessary to ensure that people “provide appropriate respect and care” for their pets.
The move had been prompted in an effort to ensure that Ireland’s laws and policies were appropriate to protect animals and was an issue that was constantly monitored and adjusted as necessary as new evidence emerged.
The new regulations had been advised by the Advisory Council on Companion Animal Welfare which had been set up to bring together all the key stakeholders and organisations, he said.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the proposed regulation will ban the use of electronic shock collars operated by a hand-held remote control on dogs and cats. It will provide for those currently using these shock collars on their dogs to register with the department, provide the dog’s microchip ID and dog licence number, and continue to use the collars for the lifetime of that dog.
This registration process is to be completed by three months from the date of introduction of the regulation. The use of these shock collars on deaf dogs will be exempt from the new legislation.
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