Limerick dog attack: What is an XL bully and how dangerous are they?

Why is the XL bully dog in the news at present?

A 23-year-old woman, Nicole O’Donnell Morey, died after being mauled by her own dogs, one of which is understood to be an XL bully breed.

She was found unresponsive when gardaí called to a premises in Ballyneety, Co Limerick, late on Tuesday and died at the scene.

One dog, which was particularly aggressive, was destroyed on the spot, and three other dogs were restrained by gardaí.

The three dogs have been seized by the Limerick County Council dog warden service.

What is an XL bully?

They are not a breed as such, but a type of bulldog with a muscular body and blocky head. They must be at least 20 inches (51cm) tall at the shoulder to qualify for the designation “XL bully”.

The UK government website describes them as a “variant of the wider American bully breed type. The XL bully breed type is typically larger (both in terms of height and body shape) and more muscular than other American bully breed types such as the micro, pocket, ‘standard’ and ‘classic’.”

They are immensely powerful with strong jaws capable of killing a human being. In an article in The Daily Mail, Isobel Boyd described the experience of being mauled by one. “Screaming in agony as the dog’s teeth sank deep into my arm, I was flung across the pavement like a rag doll and slammed to the ground.

“I can’t describe the pain – its teeth felt like daggers, sharp and piercing, refusing to let go. The XL bully shredded my arm and fractured my knee, leaving me hospitalised for 11 days.”

As a consequence of many attacks, they were banned in England and Wales in late 2023 by the UK government as they were said to have been “disproportionately involved” in deaths recorded since 2021.

[ Woman (23) who died after dog attack at her home in Co Limerick named locally ]

What is their status in Ireland?

There are no banned dog breeds in Ireland. There are, though, restrictions on 11 different dog breeds. Under these restrictions, certain named breeds have to be muzzled in public, kept on a short leash and only people over the age of 16 can escort them in public.

XL bully dogs specifically are not on the list yet. This is despite the fact that an XL bully was responsible for causing serious disfigurement to Alejandro Mizsan (11) in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford last year. The dog’s owners Niall Byrne and Karen Miller were both given prison sentences.

Dublin City Council has had a ban on 10 different types of dogs since 2007 including four types of bulldog, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the English Bull Terrier, the Rottweiler and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Should there be a general ban on XL bully dogs?

The issuing of an outright ban on certain breeds of dogs similar to the one introduced by the UK in 1991 is under consideration at present by the Government here.

The original UK Dangerous Dogs Act in 1991 banned fighting dogs completely and has added various dangerous breeds and types of dogs over the years to include the XL bully which was added to the list last year.

In Ireland, a Government-established group chaired by retired Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey is examining the area of increased dog controls.

According to dogs.ie founder Paul Savage the ban on dangerous dog breeds in the UK has not stopped deaths happening.

He cautioned against a “knee-jerk” reaction to an outright ban on such breeds. He said the number of dangerous dog attacks in Ireland is relatively small. “Banning a breed is often very hard to police too,” he said.

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