The Minister for Rural Affairs Heather Humphreys is to brief the Cabinet today about the introduction of restrictions on XL Bully dogs on October 1st.
A protest was held outside the Dáil yesterday by a group representing dog and animal welfare organisations calling on the government to pause proposed restrictions.
From 1 October, it will be illegal to breed, sell, rehome or import XL Bullys and from February 1st next year there will be a ban on owning an XL Bully dog unless the owner has a Certificate of Exemption – the dog must be microchipped, licensed and neutered.
The regulations are being implemented after a number of high-profile dog attacks. Tipperary County council recently confirmed that there are 21 XL Bully dogs licenced in county Tipperary – but says there could be more unlicensed XL dogs in the county.
The protest group are concerned that the new regulations do not contribute in any way to more responsible dog ownership and fear that hundreds of dogs may be euthanized or abandoned.
The are calling for the neutering and spaying of XL Bully dogs, as well as a ban on the cross-breeding of XL Bullys and other high-risk dog breeds and say that better education for dog owners is another essential requirement to help improve dog control in general.
