What the four nations actually allow
Animal welfare is devolved, and since 2023 the four nations have genuinely
diverged. This is the same practice compared across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland, with the primary source and a last-checked date against every cell.
Last reviewed 25 August 2026; the oldest cell on this page was last checked against its primary source on
22 August 2026. Every cell carries its own date and source below.
Data: /api/law.json.
This is a description of the
law, not legal advice. Every row links to the primary source and carries the date it
was last checked. Check the source before relying on it — general licences are reissued
each January and commencement dates move.
Companion animals
An electronic collar is one designed to administer an electric shock to the animal wearing it. Wales made attaching one to a cat or dog an offence in 2010 and remains the only nation to have done so. England laid draft regulations in 2023 which were not made, and said in December 2025 that it would consult on a ban.
Wales
Banned
- In force from
- 24 March 2010
- Instrument
- Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (Wales) Regulations 2010, regulation 2
It is an offence to attach an electronic collar to a cat or a dog, to cause one to be attached, or to be responsible for an animal wearing one. An electronic collar is defined as a collar designed to administer an electric shock. The regulations were made under section 12 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and carry up to 51 weeks' imprisonment, a fine at level 5 on the standard scale, or both.
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 25 August 2026
England
Not prohibited
- In force from
- not recorded
- Instrument
- no instrument recorded
No legislation prohibiting the use of electronic collars on cats or dogs in England has been identified. Causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal is an offence under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 whatever equipment is involved, but the equipment itself is not prohibited.
Proposed change — not yet law
Draft Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023 were laid before Parliament and debated in June 2023 but were not made. On 21 December 2025 Defra published an animal welfare strategy which includes consulting on a ban on the use of electric shock collars, with the strategy's commitments stated for delivery by the end of 2030.
Source
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 25 August 2026
Scotland
Not prohibited
- In force from
- not recorded
- Instrument
- no instrument recorded
No Scottish legislation prohibiting electronic collars has been identified. The Scottish Government's Guidance on Dog Training Aids states that it does not condone electronic shock collars, electronic anti-bark collars or electronic containment systems. Guidance is not a prohibition. Causing unnecessary suffering is an offence under section 19 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.
Scottish Government
· checked 25 August 2026
Northern Ireland
Not prohibited
- In force from
- not recorded
- Instrument
- no instrument recorded
No Northern Ireland legislation prohibiting electronic collars has been identified. Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is an offence under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 25 August 2026
How to read this
Status describes the position today. Anything proposed, consulted on or before a
legislature is shown separately as a proposed change, and is never counted as law.
“Not recorded” means not recorded. Where a commencement date or an
instrument has not been confirmed against a primary source, the cell says so rather than
estimating.
Data: /api/law.json. Corrections with a primary
source are welcome — a wrong cell here is worse than a missing one.