Ireland

Protest against Government’s new rules to ban XL bully dogs

Similar legislative changes have not worked elsewhere and will put more pressure on animal rescue groups, protesters say

XL bully owner Andrew Sharman from Co Meath with his dog Luna at the protest in Dublin
Sarah Slater
Sat Sept 07 2024 - 16:51

Almost 200 people attended a protest at St Stephen’s Green in Dublin against the Government’s new rules around XL bully dogs, which are set to come into operation from next month.

XL bully dogs will be banned when the new legislation fully comes into force next February.

The first phase of the new rules will come into being on October 1st, when it will be illegal to breed, sell, re-home or import XL bully dogs.

In the second phase, which will be introduced next year, there will be a ban on owning an XL bully dog, unless the owner has a certificate of exemption.

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The legislation is being introduced following a number of recent attacks, one of which was on Nicole Morey (23) who was fatally injured in Ballyneety, Co Limerick, last June, along with a number of other high-profile injuries in Wexford and Waterford.

Alejandro Mizsan was nine when he was attacked by an XL Bully dog while playing with friends in Enniscorthy in November 2022. He received extensive injuries to his face and limbs and as a result was hospitalised for several months.

Animal Welfare groups including Working Animal Guardians, which organised the protest; Husky Rescue Ireland; the Haven Rescue; My Love Horse Rescue; Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA); Dogs in Distress; the National Home Checkers for Rescues in Ireland; Offaly Men for XL Bullies; and other independent rescuers attended the protest, which was monitored by gardaí.

Protesters were carrying numerous posters calling for the Government to “Educate don’t discriminate,” “Every dog deserves to live out its natural life. Save the XL Bully,” and “Who advised Minister Humphreys?”

[ XL bully ban creates ‘a real risk of dog abandonment’, says ISPCA ]

Brenda Fitzpatrick with the Working Animal Guardians rescue told those gathered that animal welfare groups “are the voices of so many animals” in this country. She added: “Ghandi said the greatness of a nation and the moral progress of a nation can be judged on how it treats its animals. So when we reflect on our history and on our treatment of animals in this country we are found wanting on so many levels and so many areas legislation is not being enforced. People are working in desperate situations trying to help and assist so many abused and desolate animals.”

She said that last July was one of the “darkest moments” for such groups when Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys announced that for the “first time ever in this State a type of dog was going to be banned, the XL Bully”.

Ms Fitzpatrick added: “It’s interesting Minister Humphreys did many different interviews with RTÉ. In one of those interviews she spoke about being from a Border county and that it was important that a Border county and the Republic of Ireland come into alignment with Northern Ireland.

“I’d like to ask her: why? Because when we look to the UK what we see is a failed policy since the early 1990s. It’s not lost on me that we are gathered outside the Theobald Wolfe Tone monument – the father of Irish republicanism. Wolfe Tone fought for people having their own ideology and fostering their own cultures and to be able to make their own laws and follow them.

[ Q&A: the ban on XL bully dogs - how will it work? ]

“[It is] not to follow in the footsteps of our nearest neighbour that has a failed and desperate policy in operation there. Now since last year with the XL bullies. So many voices on that stakeholders’ committee were completely ignored and not listened to.

“On the grounds of moral, ethical and humanitarian reasons the ban is completely unacceptable. These dogs are being and will be dumped before October 1st. Then these dogs can’t be homed and there is only one thing facing them: euthanisation. What will now happen is that the irresponsible dog owners and backstreet breeders will simply move on to developing another high-breed dog.

“This [legislation] is not going to stop them, they are simply going to move the goalposts here. So what we are looking for is less of a myopic view and a really, sustainable, compassionate approach that keeps everybody safe. ”

The animal charities have reiterated that scores of XL bully dogs have been abandoned nationwide or turned over to them. They estimate that hundreds of dogs will have to be destroyed when the new legislation comes into force.

Andrew Sharman, from close to Kells, Co Meath, attended the protest with his three-year-old XL bully dog called Luna which he has had neutered and which was muzzled and on a lead in public.

Mr Sharman said he felt the need to attend the protest as he wanted to lend his support.

“We don’t support what’s happening. We got Luna when she was four months old. We never expected to get her, we just knew she was ours when we met her, like most people when they get dogs. We did the research on this type of dog.

“I don’t get hassled by people about her. We follow the rules and will continue to do that. We will take this [new legislation] to court if we have to.”

[ Will the ban on XL bully dogs work? Dog wardens have their say ]

Tara Keogh, who is a volunteer with the DSPCA, and who was accompanied by her 12-year-old son Tadhg, explained that under the new Government classification for the dogs they are either going to “have to be exported to Sweden or put down”.

DSPCA volunteer Tara Keogh and son Tadhg at the XL bully protest in Dublin on 07/09/2024

“These dogs are rehomable and there is no need for them to be put down. The DSPCA has applied to have the dogs tested to see if they are rehomable rather than put them down. There is no in-between. There has been no communication as far as I know from the Government and there’s only three weeks to go. The animal charities are the ones who are going to bear the brunt of having to deal with this [abandoned and dogs having to be euthanised]. There’s no consideration from the Government,” she said.

Her son Tadhg noted: “I think this legislation is stupid. There is just not enough time to rehome the dogs [since last July]”.