Every year GAP (greyhounds as Pets), who are New Zealand's largest greyhound adoption agency runs a fundraiser/publicity event in conjunction with Animates (a large chain opf pet stores and vet clinics).
Having attended the event over numerous years, I've found it to be a great way for members of the public to meet greyhounds. The event usually results in a number of adoptions too.
I was looking forwards to attending this years event with our two hounds.
UNfortuiantely it was not to be.
I was told Animates dont want me to attend. Worse still, Animates also refused to let GAP operate out of one of their stores, citing me as the reason.
The trouble is that several years ago I'd posted on Linkedin to express my disgust at Animates selling electric shock collars and invited other linkedin users to express their distate.
This was picked up by the media and over the course of a week became a hotly debated issue.
That this happened 2 and a half years ago didnt seem to matter in the minds of Animates .
My concerns around shock collars are just as valid as nothing appears to have changed.
If anything, Animates have plummeted in my estimates. I can understand them not wanting me in their stores - the PR risk of a potential dissenter on their premises makes demanding I do not attend a logical move.
What I cannot understand is the move not to allow GAP to fundraise in one of their stores because of social media posts . I am not a GAP employee, and my relationship with GAP is limited to the small amount of fundraising I've historically done as well as the two greyhounds I'd adopted through GAP. Punishing GAP for the actions of an unrealated individual simply makes sense. Worse still, greyhounds suffer.
Animates loony logic aside, My issues with electric shock collars stem from 4 simple facts - these are:
1) training with fear rather (negative reinforcement) instead of encouragement (positive reinforcement) generally doesnt work and often results in other behavoural issues and in some cases even agression.
2) While shock collars have a place with professional trainers who know how and when to use them, numerous studies have found that non-professionals tend to overuse them. This often desensitises the dog to to shocks and this see's the collars settings eventually turned up to full. this can have two possible outcomes. Firstly the dog learns to ignore the shock and their behaviour remains uncorrected. Secondly the dog gets stressed out and redirects fear and frustrations into other behaviours which is why shock collars are often seen as not being efective or sometimes resulting in undesirable canine behaviours such as agression.
3) Anyone can buy one. While Animates claim that their shock collars are kept under lock and key, there's no restriction on who they may be sold to. While Animates can operate a measure of discretion on who they sell shock collars to, the decision is usually made by a shop assistant who is at best poorly equipped to make a decision.
4) Shock collars are potentially dangerous. There is also no regulation around the importation of shock collars into New Zealand. A common argument often cited by shock collar proponents is "I've worn one of these shock collars and zapped myself and it was fine". What is not so widely discussed are the many incidents involving faulty shock collars thatr have caused severe electrical burns to dogs or refused to turn off and delivered a constant stream of shocks until their batteries ran flat. The other lesser known fact about shoick collars is that they are typically powered by Litium ION batteries and are cranked out of factories third world nations. Given the recent Samsung Note 7 smartphone debacle which saw poorly manufactured Lithium Ion batteries exploding, the potental for canine carnage from cheaply made shock collars is huge.
Sadly at the end of the day, it is the Greyhounds that suffer.
