The potential for shock collars to have a negative impact on behaviour has been recognised by United Kingdom courts. In 2001, Ostarra Langridge was prosecuted after one of her dogs attacked and killed a Shih Tzu whilst on a walk. A control order, rather than a destruction order, was imposed as the magistrates accepted the defense that the dog's aggressive behaviour was attributable to the effects of the shock collar. Langridge claimed her dogs "connected the pain of the electric shock with little dogs because of the first time I used the collar". She first shocked the dogs by accident while they were walking by a small dog.