Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) England Regulations:
New regulations come into force on the 1st February 2024 and will ban the use of remote-controlled electronic shock collars on dogs an cats in England.
DEFRA Explanatory Notes:
These Regulations make provision for the purpose of preventing the use of electronic collars in England.
Regulation 2(1) makes it an offence for a person who is responsible for a cat or dog to attach an electronic collar, or cause an electronic collar to be attached, to the cat or dog in England.
Regulation 2(2) provides that a person commits an offence if, at any time when the person is responsible for a cat or dog, the cat or dog is wearing an electronic collar and the person is in possession of a remote-control device in England which is designed or adapted for activating and controlling the electronic collar remotely.
Regulation 3 provides that the offences under regulation 2 are summary-only offences and that a person convicted of an offence under regulation 2 is liable to a fine.
Regulation 4 provides that a local authority may prosecute an offence under regulation 2 and regulation 5 provides for various post-conviction powers in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (c. 45) to be exercisable in relation to the offences under regulation 2.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
