Toronto dog collar ban barks up the wrong tree, dog lovers say
The bylaw bans choke collars and choke chains (also known as slip collars), pronged collars and “any similar device.”

thestar.com
By AZZURA LALANIS
March 12, 2017

Toronto dog lovers are divided after a controversial new bylaw banning some dog collars kicked in this month.

The bylaw bans anyone from using choke collars and choke chains (also known as slip collars), pronged collars and “any similar device” on dogs. Police dogs and martingale collars are both exempt from the bylaw.

What began as a city staff recommendation to ban the use of such collars for tethering was expanded into a blanket ban that city council unanimously accepted. It’s a move that took many dog trainers, owners and dog organizations by surprise.

Jennifer Legere, a Toronto dog trainer, says the banned collars are key when it comes to keeping some dogs, their owners and the public safe.

“They are able to stop a powerful, determined dog (who) can overpower its owner. With this, it gives you the leverage that you need,” she said. “It is an effective tool, despite what it looks like. It doesn’t matter. The dog doesn’t care what it looks like.”

Sitting in a park with her terrier, Hamlet, Legere explains how the collars work.

The choke chain, which Legere calls “a loaded word,” opting to call it a “slip chain” instead, works by tightening when a dog tries to get ahead of its owner. Similarly, the prongs in the pronged collar push against the dog when it gets out of control.

“(Dogs) respond very well when they’re used properly.”

Not everyone agrees.

Scarborough Centre Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker was one of 33 councillors who unanimously voted in favour of the bylaw.

“I’ve formed my opinion based on what experts have told me,” he said. “I think that certainly pronged collars and choke collars are actually very painful and very inhumane, so I simply think that’s not a way we should be treating animals in 2017.”

De Baeremaeker acknowledged he’s received concerns from dog trainers, but said there are other collars they can use, including the martingale collar.

“It’s my opinion that if you can’t control a large animal you shouldn’t buy a large animal,” said De Baeremaeker.

“Dogs come from the size of a teacup to the size of a small pony so if you’re not able to handle a really large dog you shouldn’t buy a really large dog.”

That’s not always the case, though, says Legere.

“Imagine an arthritic person. Imagine a person with limited mobility, pain, limited strength or limited balance with a large powerful breed. Or somebody who has an injury . . . the strongest man can be made weak, but your dog still needs to walk, your dog still needs exercise and stimulation . . .

“If this ban persists, there are going to be more frustrated dogs that can’t get walks. Dogs aren’t people. Dogs are dogs and if people can’t control them because their tools are taken away, you can connect the dots.”

Not every dog owner has used these types of collars responsibly, however. Late last year, a Toronto woman pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after her dog was found with prongs from a training collar embedded in his neck after he grew and the collar wasn’t changed.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wouldn’t comment on the ban and whether it was the right decision for Toronto, but said it doesn’t “encourage the use of any device that could put an animal in distress.”

“We support positive reinforcement training and suggest pet owners consider consulting a trainer for assistance if they are having trouble with their dog pulling on the leash,” said Melissa Kosowan, senior communications manager for the OSPCA.

Advocates for the collars say any tool can be misused, and suggest a compromise could be to require dog owners to take a class before being permitted to use them.

The Canadian Kennel Club was “surprised” by the ban, said Naomi Kane, the club’s chair of the Responsible Dog Ownership Committee, adding it is reaching out to the city to try to resolve the issue. The choke-chain ban, which club members use in dog shows, will affect shows held in Toronto.

“We’ve got a lot of very upset dog owners saying, ‘We’re not dog abusers, we’re not doing anything terrible.’ Our dogs are really well cared for and loved and respected. I think this is the problem with people that don’t understand. They’re trying to do a good thing, I understand that. But I don’t think they understand dogs or what these collars really are.”

Beyond dog shows, the collars are an essential tool for keeping people’s precious pooches under control, Kane says.

“It’s all well and good to say everything should be positive, but dogs sometimes have their own ideas and we live in a very urban society and we do need to control them. I am not an advocate in any way for hurting dogs or causing them distress.”

Dog owners caught using the banned collars risk being ticketed and would face an as yet undetermined fine.