ANIMAL PROTECTION CHARITY ISPCA has raised its concerns following the announcement of a government plan to ban XL Bully dogs in Ireland.

On Friday, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys announced that from October, it will be illegal to breed, import, sell, or rehome the breed. 

This means that there can be no new owners of XL Bully dogs from October. Then, from 1 Friday 2025, it will be illegal to own an XL Bully unless the owner has a Certificate of Exemption, which ensures that a dog has a license and is microchipped and neutered. 

The move follows a number of incidents involving attacks by XL Bully dogs, including the death of Limerick woman Nicole Morey by her own dog last month. 

The ISPCA highlighted its concerns regarding the new legislation. It said that the change in legislation is “deeply worrying” for dog owners who already comply with the legislation, but the change in legislation would make it illegal for animal charities such as the ISPCA to rehome any banned dog breeds. 

It said that the charity currently has 211 dogs in its care waiting to be rehomed. Of those, 68 dogs are restricted breeds with 28 “potentially falling under the definition of an XL Bully”.

CEO of the ISPCA, Dr Cyril Sullivan, said that the solution to the issue was “much more complex” than banning the breed.

“The ISPCA can’t turn our back on any dog that needs to be rescued, regardless of its breed, and confining a dog to a kennel environment for the rest of its life, or euthanising a healthy dog, is just not an option,” he said.

The ISPCA said it is calling on the minister to ensure that enforcement of the current dog control legislation is adequately resourced. 

It outlined that there is a risk of dog abandonment of the breed following a ban. 

Humphreys has established a working group on the implementation of the ban, on which Sullivan has been appointed.

In the North, the first of new laws around XL Bully dogs came into force two weeks ago. The laws in the North are very similar to those outlined by Humphreys to come into effect in the Republic.

“With the proposed ban, there will be an inevitable reduction in homes available for rehoming, along with reduced kennel space to admit additional rescued dogs into ISPCA care,” a statement from the ISPCA said today.