Sharon Hodgson MP supports RSPCA to improve animal welfare among youngsters in Washington and Sunderland West

Sharon Hodgson MP attended the RSPCA’s drop-in in the House of Commons and met with Chief Executive Chris Sherwood to hear about its Generation Kind initiative, which helps teach compassion to new generations and work to protect animals in Washington and Sunderland West.

Research by the RSPCA revealed that nearly a quarter of school children aged 10-18 have witnessed animal cruelty and neglect on social media.  Generation Kind, the charity’s biggest ever education and prevention programme, was developed to help address this.

Chief Executive, Chris Sherwood, said: “It’s great that Sharon attended our drop-in event to find out how we help animals in their constituency.

“Our frontline officers see some really horrific suffering and our research revealed that children as young as 10 have seen cruelty and attacks in social media videos and posts which is worrying.

“We are working hard to create a generation of children who treat animals with kindness, compassion and respect through Generation Kind - a series of projects working with youngsters at risk of offending, animal care sessions for children in care and also talks and competitions for primary and secondary school children designed to make them think about animal welfare.”

The RSPCA has been protecting animals since its foundation in 1824. To this day, they are increasing their work to prevent cruelty occurring in the first place and to educate the next generation of animal lovers.

Sharon Hodgson attended the RSPCA’s drop-in in the House of Commons to hear more about the charity’s work.

Sharon said: “I’m proud to support the RSPCA and the work that they do to protect animal welfare in our constituency. It was fantastic to hear about their work and to thank them on behalf of the animal lovers in our area for all that they do.

“However, I am saddened that young children are being exposed to horrific incidents of animal suffering online, in ways previous generations have simply not experienced.  We all have a duty to raise the next generation to be kind and compassionate to animals and I will continue to work closely with the RSPCA to help improve standards of animal welfare in Washington and Sunderland West and across the UK.”

More details about the RSPCA Generation Kind campaign can be found here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/education

Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West, attended a drop in event at the House of Commons this week to pledge her support to help ban the use and sale of electronic shock collars.

On Tuesday 20^th February, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity launched its #ShockinglyLegal campaign to help urge the Government to ban the sale of electronic shock collars.

A recent poll revealed around a third (31%) of the public wrongly believe shock collars are already illegal, yet despite public opinion, buying and using one of these painful devices to correct a dog’s behaviour, is shockingly still lawful in England.

84% of people know that shock collars cause a dog pain, but the sad reality is that they are still readily available to buy at the click of a button. These torturous devices can send between 100 to 6000 Volts² to a dog’s neck, and have the capacity to continuously shock a dog for up to 11 terrifying seconds at a time. Research shows that physical effects can include yelping, squealing, crouching, and physiological signs of distress in direct response to an electric shock^3,4. It’s not just shock collars – spray and sonic collars are also widely for sale.

Whilst the use of electronic shock collars is banned in Wales, and Scotland has also made moves towards prohibiting the use of these cruel devices, England is dragging its heels. Only Westminster has the power to ban the sale of electronic shock collars so Dogs Trust is urging members of the public to tweet their MP using the hashtag #ShockinglyLegal to help bring this important issue to light.

Sharon said,

“I’m delighted to pledge my support to Dogs Trust in calling for a ban on the use and sale of electronic shock collars. These aversive training methods are outdated and cruel, and there is no need for them to be used when there are so many positive training methods available. This is a hugely important issue for dog welfare and I hope my support will help make a difference.”

Rachel Casey Director of Canine Behaviour and Research at Dogs Trust explains

“We are appalled that it is still legal to buy and use electronic shock collars in England - 83% of dog owners polled said they wouldn’t use them so why on earth are they legal? It is both unnecessary and cruel to resort to the use of these collars on dogs. This type of device is not only painful for a dog, it can have a serious negative impact on their mental and physical wellbeing. A dog can’t understand when or why it’s being shocked and this can cause it immense distress, with many dogs exhibiting signs of anxiety and worsened behaviour as a result.”

“Positive based methods, such as using rewards like food, are the most effective and kindest way to train your dog, so there is absolutely no need for owners to even consider the use of these devices. We urge everyone who loves dogs to consider the impact that using these kinds of devices can have on our four-legged friends, and join with us in asking your MP for an immediate ban on their sale and their use.”