Have your say on proposed electronic collar ban in England

The Government is consulting on plans to introduce a ban on electronic collars for cats and dogs in England, and is asking people to submit their views before introducing legislation.

The current proposals would outlaw the use of electronic collars both for training purposes and in boundary fence systems. Electronic collars have already been banned in Wales since 2010 and the Scottish Government is currently reviewing its guidance on their use in Scotland.

The Countryside Alliance has submitted a response to the consultation to raise concerns about introducing a ban and has called for the Government to include exemptions as part of any new legislation, including for electronic boundary fence systems. Our response can be found here.

The consultation is open to everyone and it is important that people who have experience of using electronic collars have their say. The consultation document can be found here.

How to respond?

Send a letter or email to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) using the contact details below. There is no word limit but try to keep your response short and succinct.

[email protected]

Animal Welfare Team
Area 5B Nobel House
17 Smith Square,
London
SW1P 3JR

When is the deadline?

Friday 27 April 2018.

What should I say?

Try to base your response as much as possible on your own experience or expertise.

If you use an electronic collar for any animals in your care then you should include details of this in your response, including the type of animal and the reason for use (N.B. the current proposals only apply to cats and dogs).

Defra are particularly keen to hear about the impact of these proposals so mention what the consequences would be if you were no longer able to use electronic collars.

You might find it helpful to read the consultation response from the Countryside Alliance, which is available here.

What happens next?

After the deadline, the Government will consider the consultation responses before deciding what action to take.

The Countryside Alliance will be working hard to ensure that any new legislation is as sensible and practical as possible.

For more information please contact [email protected] or 02078409260.