The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD has announced a ban on XL Bully Dogs in order to protect public safety in July 2024.
- From October 1st 2024 it is Illegal to import, breed, or re-sell XL Bullies
- From February 1st 2025 there is a ban on ownership of these dogs
- Owners require ‘Certificate of Exemption’ to keep existing dogs
These regulations provide that, from October 2024, nobody in the State can take ownership of XL Bully Dogs and that it is illegal to breed, sell, import, rehome, exchange, gift or abandon XL Bully dogs.
Certificates of Exemption for existing XL bully type dogs were issued during the period from 1st October 2024 to 1st February 2025, subject to strict criteria, including a requirement for licensing, microchipping and neutering to XL Bully owners who successfully applied.
Penalties for offences are set out in the regulations.