XL Bully owners have less than two weeks to apply for an
Exemption Certificate to avoid their dog being seized and facing
court action.
The deadline to apply to their local council online is midnight
on 31 December 2024.
For XL Bully dogs to be eligible for exemption they must be
microchipped, licenced and have third-party insurance. Whilst XL
Bully dogs must also be neutered as part of the exemption
conditions, this can be completed after owners have made an
application. The application for exemption must be made by 31
December 2024, regardless of the age or neutering status of the
dog.
Chief Veterinary Officer Brian Dooher said: “Time is running
out to apply for an Exemption Certificate, there are less than
two weeks left until the scheme closes on 31 December 2024. Over
half of licensed XL Bully dog owners in Northern Ireland have
already applied for exemption, with more applications coming in
daily and I strongly urge those remaining owners to take action
now. From 1 January 2025 it will be illegal to own an XL Bully
without an Exemption Certificate and owners risk losing their pet
and facing court action.”
Full details of the compensation and exemption schemes, including
details on how owners can apply for compensation if they no
longer wish to keep their animal, can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/xlbullydogs.
Please contact the Dog Control section at your local council if
you would like guidance on completing your application for
exemption or you have any queries.
Notes to editors:
- XL Bully type dogs have been added to the list of restricted
breeds on 5 July 2024.
- The Exemption scheme opened on 9 August 2024 and will close
on 31 December 2024.
- The penalties for breach of the new safeguards are up to six
months imprisonment and/or a fine up to £5000.
- The definition to be used for an XL Bully type dog will be
the same as used by the UK Government. This can be found
at: Conformation standard for XL
Bully Type Dogs | Department of Agriculture, Environment and
Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk).
