ANIMAL lovers are being urged to sign an on-line petition to help save dogs from harmful collars that use "unnecessary" force.

The Jerry Green Dog Rescue charity – which has one of its centres at Thirsk - is supporting an effort to ban the use and sale of prong or pinch collars, spray collars, choke chains and shock collars for use on animals.

Their use is currently completely legal but the charity claims they can cause asphyxiation, neurological problems, crushing of the trachea and severe bruising.

And while the online petition already has more than 8,000 signatures, it needs more than 100,000 to be considered for Government discussion.

The charity’s behaviour adviser Rosie Myers said: “The use of these collars is completely unnecessary and can cause serious physical damage and physiological problems for the dog, which some owners may not be aware of.

“At Jerry Green Dog Rescue we strongly discourage the use of these collars and do not consider them safe or effective training tools - there are always better ways to train your dog.

“Some people think they’re an acceptable training tool and the collars are sold in shops and on the internet, but studies show their use has a negative impact on a dog’s behaviour, as well as causing physical harm.”

She added: “Dogs learn to fear their owner which can lead to aggression towards people and other animals. We recommend training through positive reinforcement, such as rewarding good behaviour – it does work.

The on-line petition can be found at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/58850