Council 'awaiting details' on new XL Bully dog ban

Roscommon County Council has said it's awaiting further details from the Government on how the newly-introduced ban on XL Bully dogs will work.

As of February 1, it is illegal to own an XL Bully type dog without a certificate of exemption issued by a local authority, or evidence that an application for the certificate has been made.

But on the question of how the ban will be enforced, and whether dog wardens will be carrying out spot checks or inspections based on tip-offs, the local authority in Roscommon said more clarity was needed.

"We are awaiting further instruction from the Department of Rural and Community Development regarding XL Bully guidelines," said the spokesperson.

Councils in Westmeath and Roscommon received a combined total of 35 applications from the owners of XL Bully-type dogs for certificates of exemption prior to the February 1 deadline.

Nineteen applications for certificates of exemption were received by Westmeath County Council, while sixteen applications were made to the local authority by dog owners in Roscommon.

Both councils told the Westmeath Independent on Friday last that the applications they had received were still being processed.

"All applications have to undergo a detailed verification process as set out in the regulations," said a Westmeath council spokesperson. "At this early stage, no applications have yet been determined."

Last summer it emerged that the position of dog warden for Westmeath County Council was vacant and that, as a temporary measure, the duties of the dog warden are being carried out by its community wardens.

On Friday last, the council indicated it was hoping to soon have two permanent dog wardens in place in the county.

"The position of dog warden in Westmeath County Council is temporarily filled pending the completion of the recruitment process for two permanent dog wardens for the county," the local authority said.

The decision to implement a ban on XL Bully dogs was announced by the since-retired Minister Heather Humphreys last July.

The Minister directed that, as of October last, it would be illegal to import, breed, or re-sell XL Bullies, while owners of existing dogs would have to apply for the certificate of exemption prior to the start of this month.

The ISPCA has raised concerns about the ban, and there has been some confusion about what specifically constitutes an XL Bully type of dog.