A dog owner has voiced her anger after finding that her dog was fitted with an electric collar while it was kept at a dog sitter.

“In the eight years of living in Malta with my dog Hunter, and having met many dog sitters, this was the first time I experienced anything like this,” dog owner Agnieszka Kuzma told Times of Malta.

She said that while the dog, a nine-year-old Samoyed, looked happy and healthy, she had never authorised the fitting of the collar. 

The collar placed on Hunter was a Petrainer PET 853, marketed as an ‘anti barking collar’ for both small and big dogs. It has seven levels of electric pulse or sound and is activated by the vibration of the vocal cords from the dog’s bark. 

The first bark activates a short pulse and if the dog continues to bark, the pulse length rises. The sensitivity of the collar can be adjusted. 

While it has been illegal to chain dogs since 2018, there is no law banning the use of electric collars.

The electric collar placed on Hunter by pet-sitters. Photo:Agnieszka Kuzma

Kuzma left Hunter at the dog sitters, Eli Imperial Star, for three nights, dropping him off on Friday and picking him up on Tuesday. She did not realise Hunter was wearing an electric collar until they were back home on Tuesday evening. 

"Hunter has thick and long fur, and it was only when I touched his neck that I realised he had the collar on," she said. 

She immediately called the pet sitters saying she had not given permission for the collar to be put on her dog. 

Nine-year-old Hunter, described as a 'loveable' and 'friendly' dog, that can bark on demand. Photo: Agnieszka Kuzma

In communication seen by Times of Malta, the pet sitters told the owner that the dog was treated very well throughout his stay and was happy. She said that the electric collar emitted a beeping sound and so it was a mental rather than physical form of correction. 

She told her it was only used at night and would not have been fair to have left the dog in distress until its owner returned. 

The pet sitter declined to comment when contacted by Times of Malta. 

Hunter showed no signs of distress when his owner found an electric collar on him. Photo: Agnieszka Kuzma

Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina reiterated her call for regulation of pet sitters and groomers. A Bill was drafted in 2021. 

"Anyone can start offering a pet sitting service or grooming service with no checks or balances," she said.

"This has led to quite a numbers of incidents and a situation where pet owners do not know who to trust."