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PetCo announced on Tuesday, Oct. 6, that it would stop selling shock collars at all of its 1,500 stores in the United States and Mexico, the company said. At the same time, the company removed the collars from online sales, as well.
“Electricity may be critical to powering your microwave, but it has no roled for the average pet parent training their dog,” said PetCo CEO Ron Coughlin in a press release.
Coughlin said in most instances PetCo favors “positive reinforcement” training, where good behavior is rewarded instead of bad behavior being punished. The company has started an online petition calling for better regulation of the sale of shock collars to general consumers.
The types of electric shock collars that will no longer be sold at PetCo include human- and bark-activated electronic pet collars.
Pet shock collars have been a concern for dog-lovers for a while. In a quick survey by Edelman Intelligence of 1,000 dog owners, 69 percent said shock collars are a “cruel” training method.
Founded in 1965, PetCo is undergoing a rebranding effort in which the retailer will position itself as “Petco, The Health and Wellness Co.”
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