Campaigns, open letters, and news from the Association of Responsible Dog Owners.
A South Devon livestock farmer was reported to the RSPCA after a member of the public believed his dogs were worrying his own sheep. The reporter was ridiculed across hundreds of social media posts. But were they really being stupid — or did they do exactly what 70 years of farming and government messaging has told them to do?
DAERA has published a consultation proposing a ban on handheld electronic, choke and prong collars in Northern Ireland. Wherever you live, the precedent matters — and the deadline to respond is the 30th of June. A piece on why responsible dog owners need to stand up, be counted, and be represented.
ARDO recently submitted formal feedback to the European Commission on the new dog and cat welfare and traceability proposals — explaining why a single line of wording mattered, why some of this work happens quietly, and where the legislation has now landed.
Dartmoor's Livestock Protection Officer Karla McKechnie echoes what ARDO have been saying for years: stronger dog training, not stronger legislation, is the key to stopping livestock attacks.
ARDO founder Jamie Penrith writes for the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation’s quarterly magazine, Keeping the Balance, on working dogs, rural life, and why this matters beyond one tool.
There is a popular belief that electronic containment systems exist simply to keep animals safely within a predefined boundary. That description is not wrong, but it is…
If you like what we do, please offer your support the Association of Responsible Dog Owners (ARDO). You can do so simply by emailing info@joinardo.com with the word “Support” and…
The Animal Welfare Strategy For England. The strategy was debated in Parliament this morning, 21st January 2026. The subject of electronic collars was bought up several times, which we have detailed below for your convenience.
"Shock", Rhetoric and Reality: Response to the RSPCA. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has recently launched a joint initiative described as an Animal Welfare Evidence Centre.
Join me for an extraordinary in-depth conversation with Dr. Peter Apps, an incredible, personable scientist, qualified in both zoology and chemistry, whose varied career includes…
I STRONGLY urge you to fill out this survey from the NSA, especially if you have effectively prevented or successfully resolved sheep worrying by your dog. ARDO has completed the…
Keeping Our Supporters Informed On 22 December 2025, the Government published its “Animal Welfare Strategy” (applies to England only) Included in this was its intention to carry…
Over the last few weeks, there’s been a great deal of noise about the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 undergoing long-awaited updates. The amendment bill has now passed…
In response to a BBC televeision programme’s segment broadcast on 21st October, 2025 relating to electronic training collars in the UK, we have filed a complaint to both “Morning…
On behalf of ARDO supporters, a response to the relevant department regarding the legislation below has been submitted. ARDO remains committed to standing up for responsible dog…
ARDO have today sent a comprehensive rebuttal of the article below to the editor of ‘The Scotsman’. We have requested that they print our response in the name of journalistic…
Is the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Amendment Bill in England Learning the Right Lessons from Scotland? As the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill continues its…
We are currently putting together a template letter for you to send to your MSP. Please email info@joinardo.com with the heading “Scotland 2025” and we will get a template letter…
The Northern Ireland agriculture minister Andrew Muir has once again confirmed his commitment to bow to lobbying pressure from Dogs Trust in relation to electronic training…
PLEASE SEE THE ARTICLE BELOW SHARED FROM NEW ZEALAND PRESS. Teaching dogs not to kill kororā penguins trialled in Wellington For the first time, a pilot training course to…
https://www.farminglife.com/news/environment/stormont-ministers-plan-to-ban-training-dogs-with-e-collars-slammed-by-rural-community-4673849 There has been fierce criticism of…
Taken from consult.gov.im. The purpose of the consultation by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) was to seek views on whether the Isle of Man Government should ban or regulate the use of electronic collars for dogs and cats.
Daily Express Article 6th February, 2024. JAMIE PENRITH Association of Responsible Dog Owners THIS harrowing event is tragically not the first attack of this kind and…
On Thursday February 1st, ARDO gave a presentation for representatives of the Irish government in relation to an early stage proposal to ban electronic training aids in Ireland. A…
In March 2018, the Government announced their intention to ban electronic collars. The government then laid draft legislation in April 2023 which would make the use of electronic…
The question of whether electronic training collars should be banned in Ireland is under consideration by the Advisory Council for Companion Animal Welfare who then in turn advise…
Electric dog-collars ban would be a welfare disaster, argue farmers The Sunday Telegraph4 Sep 2022By Hayley Dixon SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT BANNING electric dog collars will lead to…
Just over 1 week ago, following a conversation between Jamie Penrith and Danny Wells, Danny (and shortly afterwards, Jamie) posted a live video in social media containing a…
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