Further legislation on dog control is expected within the lifetime of the current Government, a Fine Gael TD has said, adding that the XL Bully ban was “just a starting point in terms of addressing issues around animal control”.
Since February 2025, it has been illegal to own an XL Bully type dog without a Certificate of Exemption. Although there are ten restricted dogs breeds, the XL Bully is the only dog type that requires a Certificate of Exemption.
In order to get a certificate of exemption, the dog owner must provide proof that they owned their XL Bully before October 2024 and have the dog licensed, microchipped, and neutered.
Non-compliance with the…