Sale and hire of collars
An electronic collar is an animal collar that is designed to be capable of imparting an electric shock to an animal.
Legal requirements for sale and hire of collars
People selling, hiring, receiving or using electronic collars must comply with legal requirements under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019.
Record keeping requirements
You must not sell, hire or supply an electronic collar for use on cats, dogs or livestock unless you keep a record of these details about the purchaser or hirer of the collar:
- full name and address
- street address
— for cats and dogs this must be the address of the purchaser
—for livestock, this must be the street address of the property where the collar is to be used - contact telephone number or email address (if any)
- date of sale, hire or supply of the collar
- for electronic collars to be used on livestock, if they are to be used in Victoria, then written evidence must be provided, and recorded, that the animal on which the collar is to be used, and use of the collar, is part of an approved scientific procedures program conducted under a licence issued under Part 3 of the POCTA Act.
You must not provide false or misleading information about these details.
You must keep these records for 7 years after the sale, hire or supply of an electronic collar.
Selling requirements
You must not sell, hire or supply:
- an electronic collar other than one manufactured for use on cats, dogs or the specified livestock species
- an electronic collar for use on a cat or a dog unless it meets approved design and technical specifications [insert link to relevant government gazette]
- an electronic collar manufactured for use on cats or dogs unless you have advised the purchaser, in writing, of the legal conditions for use
- an electronic collar for livestock unless written evidence of the use in an approved scientific procedures program is provided.
The legal conditions for use are outlined in regulations 23 to 29 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019. Further information and printable factsheets for the use of these collars can be found at:
Anti-bark and remote training collars
You can be fined if you do not comply with these requirements.
More information
Contact the Customer Service Centre on 136 186, or visit our Animal Welfare section.