Class Action Lawsuit: Invisible Fence

Invisible Fence

An invisible fence is an electronically generated 3-dimensional boundary that may take any geometrical shape to enclose an area, as well as surround individual animals, but is unseen by the eye. Invisible fences control animals that are wearing radio frequency (RF) receiving devices capable of capturing electronic signals. The majority of signals used in invisible fences are between 3,000 hertz and 300 gigahertz. Invisible fences use sensory cues to invoke a change in an animal’s behavior or movement. Large animals can be controlled using audio cues, such as whistles, beeps, the human voice or any combination of them. Electric shock is also a cue used to control animal movement. Most commercial invisible fencing devices contain RF receivers that contain safety features aimed at preventing inhumane cuing, thus promoting an optimal animal experience. High frequency RF signals are emitted from a ground-based transmitter; however many invisible fencing systems will require many transmitters when the containment terrain is rugged and uneven.

The first commercial invisible fencing system was designed to contain house pets within a predetermined area, which was patented by Richard Peck, owner of Invisible Fence Company in 1974. Peck’s invisible fence was also the first borderless containment system used to contain livestock. In 1987 Peck successfully contained domestic goats to a limited area using RF receiving collars intended for household dogs. In 1989 Thomas M. Quigley of Tri-Tronics successfully trained cattle to avoid specific areas, with less than two days of training using dog training collars. In 1990 Tri-Tronics successfully developed a RF receiver specifically designed for livestock to control heifers in Canadian fields and pens. In 1991 Brian Rose invented a RF receiver that controlled cattle with an electric shock that was delivered through a nose clip. In 1992 AgriTech Electronics developed an electronic ear tag which used audio and shock cues to control cattle and was researched to be 90% effective in preventing Texas steers and heifers from entering an exclusion zone.