Six Irish animal welfare charities are challenging a new law restricting ownership of XL bully dogs in the High Court, alleging it's overly broad, vague, and lacks safeguards for existing owners. The ban, set to take effect February 1st, would criminalize ownership without an exemption certificate, raising concerns about potential misidentification and euthanasia of dogs not posing a danger.
Tim O’Connor with his XL bully Piper at a protest in Dublin against the XL bully ban last November. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Last October it became illegal to import, breed, rehome or resell XL bully dogs, which are the largest of the American bully breed. However, animal shelters and charities with XL bully dogs already in their facilities were given until February 1st to rehome or export them. The regulations outlaw uncertified ownership of a dog that “substantially meets” a specified physical conformation standard.
In an affidavit, the founder of My Lovely Horse Rescue told the court the charity has seen a “substantial” increase in requests to surrender bully-type dogs, with up to 10 requests received per day. Martina Kenny said bully breeds in general have been negatively impacted by the new law, with more abandonments and increasing difficulty in rehoming them.
Ms Kenny said the Minister for Rural and Community Development has failed to adopt a ban in line with that recently introduced in the UK, which provides “definitive” minimum dog heights and provides an appeals process during which a dog is not euthanised. Ireland’s lack of an appeals process is “most concerning” when the regulations are confusing and ambiguous, she said.
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