MADISON (WKOW) -- "It comes right along this fence line, all the way down," said Dawn Williams.
You may not be able to see it, but it's here: An invisible fence that once kept this happy dog Roxy in the backyard. Owner Dawn Williams used the device for about a year.
"As she got closer to the boundary it would zap her," said Dawn.
Until one day, a few weeks ago, she noticed this on her dog's neck
"Just two big gaping holes and her hole chest was infected," said Dawn.
The unsightly wounds have mostly healed, but Dawn's concern about the situation has not. She questions the safety of the product "Invisible Fence" and the collar that comes with it.
"I just felt, one time is way too many," said Dawn. "It shouldn't be happening."
We took her concern to the owner of the company and Cam Robinson says all his customers are warned about the risks. And the risks aren't from the collar itself, but how the owner uses it.
"The bottom line is the collar needs to come off the dog daily," said Robinson, of Invisible Fence of Madison.
He says the wounds are called "hot spots". They aren't burns but caused by bacteria from moisture being trapped under the collar. The vet who treated Roxy agrees
"I don't think the electricity has anything to do with it," said K.C. Brooks, of Lodi Veterinary Hospital.
Brooks says owners who put any type of pronged collar on their dog, need to take it off at least once a week, whether the collar comes from Invisible Fence or not.
"I think it would be inappropriate for people to stop using these kinds of collars because they do a lot to keep pets safe," said Brooks.
The owner of Invisible Fence of Madison says just to be a good guy he will refund half of Dawn's money that she spent on the fence and cover all of her vet bills.
