DEADLINE: XL Bully owners must get certificate to avoid imprisonment or €2,500 fine

XL Bully owners have until February 1st 2025 to apply for a Certificate of Exemption, and according to latest figures from the department of rural and community development, only 235 owners have done so as of yet.

XL Bully owners could face a fine of up to €2,500, or imprisonment of a term of up to 3 months, or both as the ban comes into full effect.

The owners could also have their XL Bully seized or euthanised if they do not apply for the exemption certificate.

"The breed will die out eventually," James Madden, Vetinary Officer with Leitrim County Council said on Today with Claire Byrne, as he explains the reason for the bully ban.

He said that with a ban on breeding and ensuring all bully's are neutered, this exemption certificate is "excersise in understanding how many dogs are there, where they are kept and also in limiting the increase in numbers." 

From February 1st 2025, it will be illegal to own an XL Bully type dog without a ‘Certificate of Exemption’ issued by the local authority in which the dog resides.

The information below is according to gov.ie and explains the Certificate of Exemption deadline coming up at the end of January 2025.

Certificate of Exemption:

This certificate is unique to each XL Bully type dog and owner. It specifies the dog’s licence details, microchip details, neutering details, age and description. It also specifies the dog owner’s name, address, date of birth and contact number.

A Certificate of Exemption is issued by the Local Authority and authorises the owner of an XL Bully type dog to keep that dog at a particular premises until the natural end of the dog’s life.

After February 1st 2025 all XL Bully type dog owners should either be in possession of a Certificate of Exemption or have proof that they applied for a Certificate of Exemption.

Owners may be required to present their Certificate of Exemption to a Dog Warden within 10 Days of a request to do so.

Applying for a Certificate of Exemption:

Owners must apply to their local authority.

The completed form should be sent by post or email to the relevant local authority.

The Local Authority processes the application and sends either:

A Certificate of Exemption,
A Letter of Refusal,
Request for further information should the application be missing any relevant information.
No fee is charged for a Certificate of Exemption.

Information on all local authorities can be found here: Local Authorities

Documentation needed:

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1. Copy of valid dog licence;

2. Copy of microchipping certificate for the dog;

3. Veterinary Confirmation of Neutering Status Form (see below);

4. Photographic proof of identity (copy of passport, drivers licence, public services card etc.); and

5. Proof of Address (copy of utility bill or bank statement within previous 3 months etc.).

Neutering:

Owners must arrange to have their XL Bully type dog neutered by a registered Veterinary Practitioner in order to receive a Certificate of Exemption. Neutering of the XL Bully type dog must be carried out through castration if it’s male or spaying if it’s female.

Once the dog has been neutered, owners must complete a Veterinary Confirmation of Neutering Status Form. This form is available from your Local Authority .

This form must be countersigned by a vet and forwarded to the Local Authority by post or email.

A Certificate of Exemption will not be granted until the Veterinary Confirmation of Neutering Status Form has been received by the Local Authority.

Owners can submit a Veterinary Confirmation of Neutering Status Form where their dog is determined by a vet to be medically unfit for neutering.

Definition of an XL Bully type dog:

The XL Bully type dog is a variant of the wider American Bully breed type. The XL Bully type dog is typically larger (both in terms of height and body shape) and more muscular than other American Bully breed types such as the ‘Micro’, ‘Pocket’, ‘Standard’ and ‘Classic’.

Owners should use the Physical Conformation Standard to determine if their dog is an XL Bully type.

It is the owner’s responsibility to determine if their dog is covered by the ban.

If owners think their dog could be an XL Bully type dog, they should comply with all new requirements.

Latest figures show that 235 people in Ireland have applied for a certificate of exemption allowing them to own an XL bully-type dog ahead of the February ban https://t.co/nhVy7DidOR

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 14, 2025