DAYTON, Ohio — Officials on Friday defended the safety of an invisible fence after a couple sued, claiming emotional distress to their dog.

        Andrew and Alyce Pacher, owners of Boomer the golden retriever, filed the lawsuit in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court seeking damages of more than $25,000.

        The lawsuit alleges Boomer suffered psychological damage and injuries consistent with second-degree burns after he tried to run through the fence.

        An invisible fence is a wire buried in the ground. The dog wears a special collar that gives it an electric shock if it wanders beyond the boundary of the wire.

        Jeanne Tanenbaum, spokeswoman for Invisible Fence Co. Inc., said she could not comment on the specifics of the lawsuit. But she referred questions about the safety of the fence to veterinarians and trainers familiar with the equipment.

        Marc Street, a dog trainer and national training consultant for Invisible Fence, said the collars give off small shocks that startle but do not cause pain to the dogs.

        Veterinarian Peter Eeg, a consultant to the fence company, said the charge from the collar does not cause tissue damage.

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