Getty ImagesThe number of XL Bully dogs registered in Northern Ireland has more than doubled since the announcement of the ban on this breed.
Owners who wish to keep their dog after the ban require an exemption permit.
The application phase began on Friday and is only open to people whose dogs are registered.
There are 311 XL Bully dogs registered in Northern Ireland. more than twice as many as the 140 registered in March when the ban was first announced.
Council figures also show that the number has more than tripled since the 90 cases registered in October 2023.
Selling, giving away, exchanging or breeding an XL Bully Dog is illegal and animal shelters are no longer allowed to take in this breed.
In addition, dogs must wear a muzzle and be kept on a short leash in public places.
From December 31st it will be illegal to own an XL bully dog in Northern Ireland without a special permit.
The restrictions aim to protect people, livestock and other animals from attacks by XL bully dogs.
The exemption certificate application program began on Friday, with applications to be mailed to councils before December 15 or emailed by December 31.
It is already illegal to own an XL Bully in the rest of the United Kingdom without exemption certificate.
“Register anyway, just to be safe” – USPCA
“It’s really, really important that anyone who thinks their dog might meet the government’s guidelines applies for one of these exemptions,” Siobhan McHaffie of the USPCA told BBC’s Good Morning Ulster.
Ms McHaffie, the charity’s operations and development manager, said some pet owners still did not fully understand dog registration.
“The idea of exemptions only contributes to this,” she said.
“I would really urge anyone who thinks their dog could be an XL Bully – and that’s a problem because XL Bullies are not a Kennel Club recognised breed – to apply, just to be sure.”
Ms McHaffie added that pets owned by owners who did not register by the end of the year could be deemed illegal and subsequently killed.
“On the other side of the ocean, a terrible number of healthy dogs have had to be put down because of this ban. It’s just appalling.”
ReutersThe number of approved “XL-Bully” dogs can be broken down by municipal area:
- Antrim and Newtownabbey Council – 36
- Ards and North Down Parish Council – 35
- Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon City Council – 27
- Belfast City Council – 55
- Causeway Coast and Glens Parish Council – 32
- Derry City and County Council – 11
- Fermanagh and Omagh District Council – 3
- Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council – 43
- Mid and East Antrim Council – 29
- Mid Ulster District Council – 7
- Newry, Mourne and Down District Council – 33
Before the application process for exemptions for dogs begins, some local councils have written to owners to remind them of their obligations under the new regulations, while others have announced the process on their websites and social media.
Spokespersons for several municipalities said they would continue to talk to the owners of the XL bullies to ensure that the dogs could be kept “legally and safely” even after the ban.
For owners who do not wish to keep their XL Bully under the new regulations, a compensation program has been introduced that allows the dogs to be euthanized.
There is compensation of £100 for the dog and £100 towards veterinary costs.
In order for compensation to be paid, owners must arrange for their dog to be euthanized before December 31st.
