XL Bully dogs to be banned in Ireland under new legislation

James Cox

XL Bully dogs are to be banned in Ireland under planned legislation.

Breeding, importing, selling or re-homing of the breed will be outlawed from October this year.

The move to ban XL bullies comes after a spike in the number of attacks by 'dangerous' dogs, including the death of Nicole Morey in Limerick last month.

In the aftermath, Minister for Community Development Heather Humphreys committed to assessing if such dangerous breeds should be allowed, with a ban set to come in from October 1st.

It is understood current owners of XL Bully dogs will be subject to strict new rules from next February, with special certificates needed to ensure the dogs are neutered and microchipped.

The move will bring Ireland in line with the North, and owners who break the rules could be fined, jailed for up to three months or both, if they don't have the correct documents.

In a statement, the DSPCA said: "We understand that Minister Humphreys has had a difficult decision to make and we will wait to see how this will work in practical terms.

"As a charity our fears are that people will panic and abandon their pets or look at already full rescue centres to rehome them.”