Class Action Claims ‘Gravely Dangerous’ PetSafe Shock Collars Falsely Advertised as Safe, Effective [UPDATE]

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A proposed class action alleges Radio Systems Corporation has falsely advertised its PetSafe shock collars as “safe” and “harmless” given that the products have been shown to be “gravely dangerous” to pets’ physical and psychological well-being.

According to the 36-page case, the defendant represents its PetSafe shock collars, which are designed to deliver an electric shock to a pet’s neck to discourage unwanted behavior, such as barking or crossing over a boundary, as a safe and effective training tool recommended by veterinarians and professional dog trainers. To assuage owners’ concerns about shocking their pets, the company uses euphemisms such as “static correction,” “surprise,” “tickle” and “stimulation” to describe what, in reality, is a painful electric shock, the suit says.

The lawsuit alleges that Radio Systems is aware and has failed to disclose to pet owners that “[h]undreds of documented cases” have shown that the use of shock collars like the PetSafe products can cause severe injuries, including skin ruptures, bruising, inflammation, burns and infections. 

Moreover, the case contends that “an overwhelming body of scientific research” has confirmed that the use of shock collars as a training method can cause psychological stress, anxiety, confusion and depression in pets, and even lead to gastrointestinal problems and “irreversible changes” in an animal’s heart rate and respiration. For instance, one study concluded that receiving shocks is “a painful experience” for dogs and can teach them that the presence of their owner, or their commands, is associated with painful shocks, “even outside of the normal training context,” the suit relays.

Further, the lawsuit claims another “well-documented” negative effect of shock collars is an increase in aggression and behavioral problems in dogs in response to the shocks. According to the suit, “a robust body of scientific literature” shows that the use of electric shock collars is “directly linked” to increased aggression and that shock-induced aggression is “typically intense and vicious” without the usual warning signs that dogs usually display in response to external events. Per the case, training an animal through the use of a shock collar has been shown to be less effective and more dangerous than positive reinforcement training.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that although Radio Systems represents that its PetSafe collars are recommended by veterinarians and dog training experts, “[n]othing can be further from the truth.” According to the case, the use of shock collars has been “uniformly condemned” by professional dog behaviorists, experts, trainers and vets alike, and animal advocacy groups have denounced the products as ineffective and “cruel devices.”

According to the suit, consumers would not have purchased the PetSafe shock collars had Radio Systems warned them about the associated safety risks and the “cruelty behind the fact that the household pet is being painfully electrocuted.”

The plaintiff in the case is a California consumer who says he noticed “a sticky residue and foul smell” around his dog’s neck shortly after purchasing and using a PetSafe shock collar. When the plaintiff removed the collar, the case says, he saw that “a patch of fur was missing” from his dog’s neck, and a vet subsequently “identified holes in his dog’s neck that coincided with the placement of the inserts in the Shock Collar Product,” the suit relays. The plaintiff says he stopped using the PetSafe products after discovering their “harmful effects.”

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone who purchased one or more PetSafe shock collar products in California.

Warning: The complaint below contains a graphic image of a pet’s injury.

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