09/05/2026
On Monday, DAERA announced a public consultation regarding proposed animal welfare policy reforms in Northern Ireland. This is a vital chance for those passionate about animal welfare to voice their opinions.
As advocates for kind training methods, we welcome the proposed ban on e-collars, prong collars, and choke collars, which is crucial for promoting humane dog training practices. We also encourage the inclusion of a ban on grot collars and slip leads for training and behavior modification, considering their similar impacts to choke collars.
Dogs are sentient beings; they possess the capacity to experience emotions—both positive and negative. They can feel joy, fear, pain, and distress. We are certain that if they could voice their preferences, they would choose training methods that do not involve being choked, pinched, or shocked. Their ability to bond with humans and feel complex emotions creates a moral obligation to treat them with compassion and advocate for better welfare, including kinder training practices.
If you believe that aversive tools are outdated and that dogs should no longer be trained with fear, pain, or discomfort, please take a moment to share your perspective.
Every voice matters and can greatly impact future legislation aimed at protecting our dogs.
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Did you know that many countries have already taken a stand against aversive training tools?
It’s NOW time for Northern Ireland to STEP UP!
