24 certificates of exemption have been granted to XL Bully owners in the Shannonside region. As of the start of February it's illegal to own an XL bully type dog without an exemption issued by a local council. The regulations were introduced in October of last year and prohibit the importing, breeding, selling and re-homing of XL bully type dogs. The deadline for applying for a certificate was Saturday the first of February, with a surge in last minute applications noted by local authorities.
Roscommon had the highest amount of applications locally, with 12 certs issued out of 12 applications. That's followed by Leitrim, where all eight applications received by the County Dog Warden were approved. Four applications were refused in Longford, with eight applications received by the February deadline. Anyone found in breach of these regulations or having a XL Bully without a cert could see the animal removed and euthanized as well as a fine and possible jail time for the owner. Dog wardens will be responsible for enforcing the new regulations.
