THE ban on XL Bully dogs has come into full effect today, causing “mass confusion” as panic sets in for thousands of dog owners.
The XL Bully dogs ban is part of control measures set out by the Government after a number of attacks on people across the country.
Yesterday, a High Court injunction granted a pause on the regulation from coming into effect, which would allow State agents to seize XL bullies from shelters and have them euthanised.
Although the charity was successful in finding new homes for its XL Bullys, Pat Watt, the DSPCA CEO, stated that there were concerns that a large number of XL Bullys in shelters across the nation would be put down because they were unable to find new homes in time.
According to Mr Watt, there has been an increase in bull breeds and crossbreeds being surrendered or abandoned to shelters due to the ban, affecting how people view bulldog breeds generally.
Mr Watt slams the Government for the lack of support for shelters in dealing with the new legislation.
The legislation was introduced with the aim of protecting the public from the XL Bully type dogs attacks – which saw a number of cases throughout the years.
It comes after the horrific attacks by XL Bully dogs in Limerick, which resulted in the death of a 23-year-old Nicola Morey, who died in her own home.
Another attack occurred in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, leaving a nine-year-old boy with serious facial injuries.
The former minister for rural and community development, Heather Humphreys, stated that the ban was “in the interest of public safety” and that no dog’s life is worth more than human life.
She also announced an additional €2million fund to be provided to support county councils to hire more dog wardens to maintain public safety.
NEW LEGISLATION
As the new law has fully kicked off, it is now illegal to own an XL Bully type dog without a certificate of exemption issued by the local authority or evidence that an application has been made.
The importation, breeding, selling and re-homing of the breeds was already banned in October as part of its first phase.
The certificate allows the owner to keep the dog at specific premises until the natural end of the dog’s life, preventing them from being euthanised.
The Government then gave owners until today to apply for an exemption.
Owners must ensure their dog is licensed, microchipped and neutered to maintain a certificate – the owners may then be required to show it to a dog warden within ten days of a request to do so.
Failure to provide a certificate may result in a fine of up to €2,500 or imprisonment for up to three months.
However, if you have applied but have not yet received their certificate, do not fret, as it will happen in due course, and there’s nothing to worry about.
WHAT IS AN XL BULLY DOGS?
The Department of Rural and Community Development says that an XL Bully is a variant of the broader American Bully breed type.
This means that the dog is larger and more muscular than the original breed, which are usually micro, pocket, standard and classic.
The department’s document highlights that the XL Bully dog is a “large dog with a muscular body and blocky head, suggesting great strength and power for its size” and also a strong-built individual.
ARE ANY DOG BREEDS BANNED IN IRELAND?
The XL Bully dogs are the first breed to be fully banned as no other breed of dog is currently banned in Ireland. But with certain breeds of dogs, additional rules must be followed.
This applies to the following types of dog, as well as strains or cross-breeds of these breeds:
- American pit bull terrier
- English bull terrier
- Staffordshire bull terrier
- Bull mastiff
- Dobermann pinscher
- German shepherd (Alsatian)
- Rhodesian ridgeback
- Rottweiler
- Japanese akita
- Japanese tosa
- Bandog
In Ireland, restricted dogs or strains and crosses of them must be:
- Kept on a short strong lead of under two metres
- With someone over the age of 16, who is able to control them
- Muzzled when in a public place
- Wearing a collar with the name and address of their owner, at all times
But Minister Heather Humphreys confirmed more severe rules could be on the cards, saying: “I have asked the Group to examine the restricted breeds list, in line with actions being taken in the UK and Northern Ireland.
“I am committed to working with colleagues across Government in taking whatever action is necessary to strengthen our dog control laws.”
However, it causes mass confusion as it provides descriptions of all the characteristics of the dog.
Mr Watt slammed the documents as they were not clear enough, making all owners confused and afraid of what to expect as the deadline passes.
He stated that according to the document’s descriptions, even the charity struggles to determine whether certain dogs are or are not XL bullies as other breeds meet the criteria.
FLAWS TO THE LEGISLATION
As the new legislation is now in full effect across the country, Mr Watt believes that it will not achieves its aim as it will increase more attacks, which the United Kingdom has experienced since their own ban.
He expressed his worries that the ban will drive people to underground for its illegal breeding, which will bring new hybrid breeds that will eventually replace the XL Bully.
However, the charity supports the ban on breeding as breeding dogs such as XL bullies are cruel due to their skeletal frame being under pressure by their sheer size.
Mr Watt stated that there needs to be better enforcement of the legislation, such as more dog wardens and increased fines for non-compliance.
Education programmes and mandatory training for dog owners on the restricted breed list would be a great solution, preventing the lack of care, cruelty and poor behaviours – which may reduce the attacks.
