XL bully dogs to be banned, with penalties including fines of up to ...

Dog-owners found to be in breach of the incoming ban on the XL bully crossbreed will face fines of up to €2,500, a prison term, or both.

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys outlined her plans for the ban which is being brought in after a number of savage attacks by XL bully dogs.

She said on Friday: “I know a lot of people will not agree with this decision. I’m a dog owner myself and I know people love their dogs. We must be mindful however that no dog’s life is worth more than human life.

“Ultimately that is what guided me in making this decision.”

The ban follows a series of incidents involving XL bullys including a recent fatal attack in Limerick on Nicole Morey by her own dogs, one of which was an XL bully. Alejandro Mizsan, a boy living in Co Wexford, suffered serious facial injuries in 2022 when he was attacked by one of the dogs.

Nicole Morey: died in a dog attack at her home in Co Limerick. Photograph: RIP.ie

From October 1st there will be a ban on the breeding, rehoming, reselling and importing XL bully dogs. From February 1st next there will be a ban on owning an XL bully unless the owner has secured a ‘Certificate of Exemption’. These certificates will only be issued to owners who can prove their XL bully is licensed, microchipped and neutered.

According to a Department of Rural and Community Development statement the necessary regulations to bring in the ban will be put in place before October and these will include the penalties for offences.

The penalties will be in line with those in the existing the Control of Dogs Act under which people found to be in breach of regulations is guilty of an offence.

People found guilty of an offence under the Act are liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to €2,500, or to imprisonment of a term of up to 3 months, or both.

Announcing the ban Ms Humphreys said: “The XL bully was responsible for the horrific attack on Alejandro Mizsan in Wexford last year and it was also the breed which killed a young woman in Limerick recently.

“If we do not take action now the number of these dogs in the country will grow and my fear is that these attacks will become more frequent.”

[ Limerick dog attack: What is an XL bully and how dangerous are they?Opens in new window ]

The introduction of the ban brings Ireland in line with Britain and Northern Ireland and follows the establishment of a Stakeholder Group on Dog Control, chaired by John Twomey, a former deputy Garda commissioner.

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

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

Ms Humphreys previously introduced increased fines of €300 for instances where dogs are not kept under proper control and provided €2 million in funding to local authorities for dog warden vans and equipment. There has also been a publicity campaign on responsible dog ownership.

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Speaking in the Seanad last month about her plans for a ban, the Minister said: “I know some people will not like hearing this today. They will tell me that they own an XL bully and it would never hurt anybody ...

“It’s true that any dog can bite you. But consider the damage an attack by XL bully can do compared to a Jack Russell ... The history of these dogs is that they were bred to be aggressive, it’s in their nature.”

Ms Humphreys was speaking in response to proposed legislation from Fianna Fáil Senator Erin McGreehan which was aimed at strengthening the 1986 Control of Dogs Act.

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