Banning Electric Shock and Prong Collars in Animal Training
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang’s inquiry into whether the Ministry will ban electric shock and prong collars in animal training. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee stated that NParks enforces against methods causing unnecessary pain, though these devices are not currently prohibited. He announced that the multi-stakeholder Rehoming and Adoption Work Group will study the issue while reviewing international restrictions and science-based alternatives. The Minister emphasized promoting reward-based training to reinforce desirable behavior and avoid the infliction of unnecessary suffering on animals. This approach aims to ensure that animal rehabilitation aligns with modern welfare standards as the government evaluates potential policy implementations.
Transcript
35 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will consider banning the use of electric shock collars and prong collars in animal training; (b) if so, what is the timeline for implementing the ban; and (c) if not why not.
Mr Desmond Lee: NParks will take enforcement action when animal training methods cause unnecessary pain or suffering to animals, regardless of whether devices such as electric shock collars or prong collars are used.
While some countries have banned the use of electric shock collars and prong collars, their use is not prohibited in many other jurisdictions, including Singapore. Some of these jurisdictions have imposed restrictions on their use. For instance, in New Zealand, electric shock collars can only be used to address serious behavioural problems, and when other training methods have failed. In the state of Victoria, Australia, electric shock collars can only be used by veterinarians, qualified dog trainers, or people acting under their instruction.
The multi-stakeholder Rehoming and Adoption Work Group (RAWG), which has been recently established to review practices related to the rehoming and adoption of dogs, will study this issue.
There are many methods available to train animals without compromising their welfare, such as reward-based training, whereby treats, toys, play or attention are used to reinforce desirable behaviour. Importantly, we need to better use science-based training methods in the rehabilitation of the animal and avoid unnecessary pain or suffering to it.