A council in Northern Ireland has voted to ask the government to ease restrictions on XL Bully dogs, allowing them to be rehomed from sanctuaries. The Ards and North Down Borough Council motion argues that the current legislation, which bans the breed and makes it illegal to rehome them, is unnecessarily cruel and leads to the euthanasia of healthy animals.
A Northern Ireland council has made a call for change on XL Bullies legislation to allow the dogs to be rehomed from sanctuaries.
The vote, which was not recorded, was held at the council’s monthly Environment Committee meeting. It saw eight elected members in favour of the motion, from parties including the Green Party and the DUP, four against from Alliance, and two abstaining. It will go to the full council meeting later this month for ratification.
“Restriction of rehoming, even by establishments such as rescue centres and animal shelters, is leading to the unnecessary destruction and euthanasia of healthy animals, which have no history of violence or aggression, and goes against the 'unnecessary suffering' clause in the Welfare of Animals Act NI 2011.”
It is also illegal to breed, sell, exchange, gift or abandon an XL Bully dog. From January 2025 it became illegal to own an XL Bully without an Exemption Certificate.
XL Bullies Legislation Rehoming Animal Welfare Northern Ireland
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