Dog collar horrifies residents
An image of a dog that sustained injuries from a collar has horrified and disgusted some residents who have seen it.
The EXPRESS was recently approached by a Kensington resident, Mr Kenny Blair, who said he could not believe what he had seen in a photograph. He sent the EXPRESS the photograph and urged confirmation on whether the photograph was real or a hoax, or if there were people torturing dogs with similar collars.
While some dog collars have studs on the outside, the photograph received shows a collar that has pointed pieces of metal on the inside.
The photograph shows a dog with the skin on its neck lifted up, with deep holes visible in the neck.
Mr Blair said, “How can someone manufacture this or anything like it? It is sickening and shocking. These collars are made to harm dogs… why and for what? It in no way can discipline a dog but is meant to hurt them. This is a photograph of one dog. How many more are, and will be, threatened this way? Something has to be done to stop it.”
Ms Lara Johnson, a Kensington resident and dog trainer at the Mandeville Sports Club in Bez Valley, saw the photograph on Facebook.
“It is horrific and devastating. I cannot believe a person designed this thing. I wish we could ban these collars,” said the animal activist.
She said these collars are real and in existence.
“They are apparently used in Johannesburg. One of my paramedic friends was rushing to an incident when he saw a dog with a similar collar. By the time he returned to where he saw the dog, it had disappeared. I believe these collars are used by people training dogs for dog fights, something that is happening in several parts of Johannesburg. I urge people who see this collar to report it to the SPCA,” said Ms Johnson.
Ms Candice Scorer, the general manager for the SPCA in Sandton and the Eastern Metro, referred to the collar as a “prong collar” used by some trainers to train “difficult” dogs with correction or punishment.
“These collars rely on physical discomfort, or even pain, to teach the dog what not to do. They suppress the unwanted behaviour, but they do not teach them what the proper behaviour is. At best they are unpleasant for your dog, and at worst, they may cause your dog to act aggressively and even possibly bite you.
“Positive training methods should always be your first choice and the Sandton SPCA does not support the use of these collars,” said Ms Scorer.
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