Petco announced on Wednesday (October 8) that it will stop selling shock collars online and in stores as part of the #StopTheShock movement.
Per the company, which operates more than 1,500 retail locations nationwide, the shock collars don’t align with their mission station for the lives of both pets and owners. "Electricity is fine for your microwave, but not fine for your pets, so we shouldn’t sell these things," Ron Coughlin, CEO of Petco. told TODAY. "You have this poor, vulnerable, loving animal who had no idea they’re going to have this happen to them, and in our view, it’s inhumane."
As you know, shock collars have remained a controversial tool in training dogs. Putting on the collar prompts handlers to press a button on a remote to deliver a degree of electronic stimulation to the dog's neck as punishment.
Coughlin went on to admit that the COVID-19 pandemic has been met a number of first-time pet owners and the company wants to prioritize positive training methods over coercive approaches. "The vast majority of folks that are coming into our stores and buying (shock collars) are just regular consumers that don’t know any better," he said. "So we’ve got a job to make sure we’re providing the right options for them."
To their benefit, Petco has received plenty of positive reinforcement over their move, including backing from Dr. Marty Becker, a veterinarian and founder of Fear Free. He focuses on educating handlers about reducing anxiety and stress in pets at animal hospitals and home. "I was pleasantly surprised, shocked really, that Petco took this bold step," he wrote in an e-mail to TODAY. "Like our politics, the issue of using shock has historically had two polar opposite views from trainers and users. But the veterinary profession in general, and myself specifically, has been strongly against the use of shock and other punishment-based training for many years. With this bold move, far fewer pets will suffer from the ignorance of their human moms and dads in training."
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