XL Bully ban will continue to result in unnecessary animal deaths, says Senator

Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews spoke in the Seanad on the need to reform Ireland’s XL Bully ban legislation, noting the lack of legal provisions for dogs in rescue centres or local authority pounds.

“Despite the amendments made to the XL Bully ban legislation, legislation has again fallen short in many key areas,” he said.

“The word “type” is being used to describe XL Bully dogs, but it remains vague and open to interpretation. The continued use of the term “type” fosters subjectivity and inconsistency, enabling the misclassification of dogs that do not possess core XL Bully characteristics.

“Dog wardens across this island have been arbitrarily misidentifying XL Bullies due to a lack of appropriate training.

“Dogs deemed to be XL Bullies cannot be homed without a permanent Certificate of Exemption.

“What worries rescue centres is that there is no legal provision that allows dog rescue centres or local authority pounds to receive a temporary or interim Certificate of Exemption.

“A permanent certificate can only be applied for once a dog is placed in a home. Therefore, dogs in rescue centres and pounds are all in a type of limbo and unable to move to homes that would legally allow them to receive the exemption and avoid being put down.

“Until these issues are resolved, the legislation will continue to result in unnecessary animal deaths, undermine public confidence and safety, and cause serious distress to those working to protect animals.”