Banning Electric Shock and Prong Collars in Animal Training

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.

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.