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                                                       Strategic Approach

The key purpose of the Shock-Free Coalition is to build a strong and broad movement committed to eliminating shock devices from the supply and demand chain. This goal will be reached when shock tools and equipment are universally unavailable and not permitted for the training, management and care of pets.

The Pledge: A Call to Action

The Shock-Free Coalition believes that pets have an intrinsic right to be treated humanely, to have each of their individual needs met, and to live in a safe, enriched environment free from force, pain and fear.  

Members of the Shock-Free Coalition consider it to be their responsibility and utmost obligation to be vigilant, to educate, to remain engaged and work toward eliminating shock as a permissible tool so it is never considered a viable option in the training, management and care of pets. 

 Sign the pledge click here. If you want to download the Pledge Document then please click on the  PDF sign




Definition of Pets

For the purposes of this Pledge, a pet is any domesticated animal kept for companionship, work or pleasure. This applies to pets already in homes, as well pets in shelters and rescue organizations waiting to find new homes.

Definition of Shock

For the purposes of this Pledge, electronic stimulation devices include (but are not limited to) products often referred to as: e-collars, training collars, shock collars, e-touch, stimulation, tingle, TENS unit collar, remote trainers, and e-prods.

Coalition Purpose and Function

The  Shock-Free Coalition has been developed purposely to bring together parties that have mutual business interests and a personal investment in the welfare of pets. The Coalition embraces stakeholders of similar values and interests, enabling all parties to combine their resources and become more successful in achieving the stated goals.

Key Goals

The Coalition will work diligently together to achieve the following:

  1. To engage and educate pet owners and shelter/rescue workers to help them make informed decisions about the management, care and training of the pets in their charge.
  2. To build a worldwide coalition that provides pet owners access to competent, professional pet industry service providers.
  3. To create widespread pet industry transparency and compliance regarding how professionals implement their services and communicate their philosophy to pet owners.


Selected academic papers and statements from professional organizations that demonstrate why shock is not the preferred option to care for, train or manage pets:

  1. Blackwell, E., & Casey, R. (2006). The Use of Shock Collars and Their Impact on the Welfare of Dogs. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol Department of Clinical Veterinary Science
  2. Companion Animal Welfare Council. (2012). The Use of Electronic Pulse Training Aids (EPTAs) in Companion Animals. Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/14640/1/CAWC%20ecollar%20report.pdf
  3. Overall, K. (2007). Considerations for shock and ‘training’ collars: Concerns from and for the working dog community. Journal of Veterinary Behavior (2), 103-107
  4. Schilder, M.B.H, & van der Borg, J.A.M. (2004). Training dogs with the help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects. Applied Animal Behaviour Science (85), 


Selected academic papers and statements from professional organizations that demonstrate why shock is not the preferred option to care for, train or manage pets:

  1. Blackwell, E., & Casey, R. (2006). The Use of Shock Collars and Their Impact on the Welfare of Dogs. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol Department of Clinical Veterinary Science
  2. Companion Animal Welfare Council. (2012). The Use of Electronic Pulse Training Aids (EPTAs) in Companion Animals. Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/14640/1/CAWC%20ecollar%20report.pdf
  3. Overall, K. (2007). Considerations for shock and ‘training’ collars: Concerns from and for the working dog community. Journal of Veterinary Behavior (2), 103-107
  4. Schilder, M.B.H, & van der Borg, J.A.M. (2004). Training dogs with the help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects. Applied Animal Behaviour Science (85), 


Supportive Statements from Pet Industry Leaders


Linda Tellington-Jones

“It is my honor to join the PPG in the movement to stop the use of shock collars for training and behavior and participate in the campaign to raise awareness of the devastating effects on canine health and well-being as well as the damage to the relationship between dogs and their people." - Linda Tellington-Jones Ph.D. (Hons), developer of the Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM) and Tellington TTouch.


Linda Tellington-Jones

“It is my honor to join the PPG in the movement to stop the use of shock collars for training and behavior and participate in the campaign to raise awareness of the devastating effects on canine health and well-being as well as the damage to the relationship between dogs and their people." - Linda Tellington-Jones Ph.D. (Hons), developer of the Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM) and Tellington TTouch.

Linda Tellington-Jones

“It is my honor to join the PPG in the movement to stop the use of shock collars for training and behavior and participate in the campaign to raise awareness of the devastating effects on canine health and well-being as well as the damage to the relationship between dogs and their people." - Linda Tellington-Jones Ph.D. (Hons), developer of the Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM) and Tellington TTouch.

Pat Miller

“It is morally reprehensible to use shock to control the behavior of the sentient, sensitive beings we call our best friends. Shock collars work because they hurt, and it is absolutely possible to train dogs successfully and effectively without using them. If you don’t have to hurt and frighten your dog in the name of training, why on earth would you?” - Pat Miller CBCC-KA CPDT-KA, director, Peaceable Paws Trainer Academies.


Victoria Stilwell

“I’ve witnessed firsthand the destructive power of shock collars in dog training. Shock collar and electric fence companies will tell you they’re not harmful when used ‘correctly,’ but this is false. What they don’t tell you about is the damage these devices can do, both to the human/canine bond and to a dog’s emotional stability. The ineffectiveness of these tools in terms of emotional shutdown is common and research has also effectively shown that using shock to train dogs is ultimately harmful and should be avoided at all costs.” - Victoria Stilwell, dog behavior expert and trainer, host and presenter of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog.


Dr. David Suzuki

“I’m shocked to learn about shock collars and I support the drive to ban them.” Dr. David Suzuki Ph.D., award-winning scientist, environmentalist and recipient of the Order of Canada.


Dr.Karen Overall

“The behaviors for which people wish to use shock in dogs are those that annoy humans. These behaviors are either signals or nonspeciļ¬c signs of underlying distress. The question should be, are we doing harm when we use shock to extinguish behaviors, some of which may be normal? If one is considering the mechanism of cellular learning, the answer must be yes.” - Karen L. Overall MA VMD Ph.D. DACVB, editor-in-chief, Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.

Jean Donaldson

“Electric shock has no place in modern dog training and behavior management. It is never necessary, and is inhumane and side effect-laden. I know of no valid argument for the continued sale of these devices.” - Jean Donaldson, founder and principal instructor, The Academy for Dog Trainers and author of The Culture Clash.

Marc Bekoff

"Cruelty can't stand the spotlight. And, abuse must be countered head on. Dogs need all the voices they can get. We are their lifeline, their oxygen, and they are totally dependent on our goodwill and for us to work selflessly and tirelessly on their behalf.” - Renowned ethologist Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., University of Colorado, author of The Animals’ Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age (marcbekoff.com)


Dr. Theresa L. DePorter

“Anxious dogs freeze or flee when startled. These are natural responses. The more anxious a dog is, the easier it is to scare the dog into immobility. Immobility is not the same as calm or happy or obedient. Immobility can mean being frozen in fear. Aversive corrections and punishment-based training methods startle dogs into immobility. Harsh verbal corrections, choke collars, prong collars and shock collars are all positive punishment strategies – positive in that they add an undesirable consequence in order to get the dog to “stop” – with the shock collar being the most evil villain of all. Good people who care about dogs still fall victim to the lie that this collar does NOT hurt dogs. It does. It hurts both physically and emotionally. If it didn’t hurt enough to scare the dog, then it wouldn’t stop the behavior. The seemingly innocent beep (also called a tone) is threatening – as threatening as pointing a gun at someone, but stopping short of pulling the trigger. The beep may not cause physical pain, but it still causes fear and is not in the best emotional interest of our dogs. Our anxious dogs deserve empathy and compassion, not shock or the threat of being shocked. Please help by taking shock off the table.” - Theresa L. DePorter DVM MRCVS DECAWBM DACVB, veterinary behaviorist.


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