Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue is to introduce rules within the coming months to ban the usage of electrical collars on dogs and cats.
The transfer follows months of “significant consultation” on the difficulty, he informed RTÉ radio’s Today Show.
The rules won’t have an effect on electrical fences as animals can keep away from them. The goal is electrical shock collars which can be utilized on dogs and cats to regulate their behaviour, and in some circumstances can be utilized for coaching.
However, individuals who have already got distant managed electrical collars on their animals won’t be required to take away them. The plan is to section out use of such management strategies, the Minister mentioned, including that it was a proportionate response.
Mr McConalogue mentioned that he didn’t anticipate a rush to buy such objects earlier than they’re banned. They weren’t broadly used, but it surely was a major difficulty from a welfare standpoint and the brand new rules have been needed to make sure that individuals “provide appropriate respect and care” for his or her pets.
The transfer had been prompted in an effort to make sure that Ireland’s legal guidelines and insurance policies have been applicable to guard animals and was a difficulty that was always monitored and adjusted as needed as new proof emerged.
The new rules had been suggested by the Advisory Council on Companion Animal Welfare which had been set as much as carry collectively all the important thing stakeholders and organisations, he mentioned.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the proposed regulation will ban the usage of digital shock collars operated by a hand-held distant management on dogs and cats. It will present for these presently utilizing these shock collars on their dogs to register with the division, present the canine’s microchip ID and canine licence quantity, and proceed to make use of the collars for the lifetime of that canine.
This registration course of is to be accomplished by three months from the date of introduction of the regulation. The use of those shock collars on deaf dogs will probably be exempt from the brand new laws.
