Courts / Wicklow / Report
Charities seek High Court injunction over impending XL Bully ban
Summary
Six animal welfare organisations—Clare Animal Welfare, Working Animal Guardians, Dogs Angels Ireland, Wicklow Animal Welfare, Haven Rescue, and My Lovely Horse Rescue—have sought a High Court injunction to halt the impending ban on owning XL Bully dogs. The applicants allege that Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys failed to publish the reasons for deeming the breed a public danger. They argue the regulations are 'overly broad,' 'void for uncertainty,' and lack appropriate safeguards, such as the height-based exceptions and appeals process present in the UK ban. The ban, which makes it a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate, is due to come into force on Saturday. Breaches can result in the seizure and euthanasia of the animal, as well as imprisonment or fines for the owner. In an affidavit, My Lovely Horse Rescue co-founder Martina Kenny stated the charity has seen a substantial increase in surrender requests, with up to 10 per day, and noted that the lack of an appeals process is 'most concerning' given the regulations are 'confusing and ambiguous.' The charities claim the definition of an XL Bully is 'artificial.' The matter is at the sentence stage, where the court action seeks injunctive relief against the State. The Judicial Review hearing is adjourned to go before Mr Justice John Jordan at the High Court tomorrow at 11am.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Charities seek High Court injunction over impending XL Bully ban. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- February 1 Incident
- 2025-01-30 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
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Places mentioned
- High Court
Topics
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