Newly disclosed data shows that so far this year, the Government has allocated nearly €600,000 towards promotional activities concerning dangerous canines. This steep expenditure comes in the wake of an alarming surge in incidents of injuries from dog attacks nationwide, with increased worries regarding the spreading of hazardous dog species such as the XL bully crossbreed.
Over the course of this year, the Department of Rural and Community Development has initiated two separate publicity drives totalling to €578,263. The initial campaign, which had a duration of five weeks beginning April 20th, cost €414,000, and was intended to promote “accountable dog ownership”. The Dublin-based ad agency, Javelin, devised this campaign with a mission to intensify “understanding of the damage caused by unruly dogs to humans and livestock” as well as to “alter behaviour and persuade individuals to be cognisant of the fact that they must consistently keep their dog restrained.”
The follow-up campaign pertained to the recent enforcement by the Government to prohibit the breeding and ownership of XL bullies. It commenced on September 23rd and is set to continue till the end of this month. Javelin also designed this campaign, which is projected to come at a price of €164,263 and is being portrayed as a “societal information drive on fresh ownership guidelines concerning XL bully type dogs”.
Heather Humphreys, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, disclosed this information to Catherine Murphy, a Social Democrats TD. This followed the Government’s resolution to ban the XL bully after several incidents of this breed attacking, including a fatal attack on Nicola Morey, a woman from Limerick, by her XL bully dogs in June 2024.
The prohibition consists of two phases, with the importation, breeding or selling of an XL bully dog becoming illegal from the start of October.
Commencing February 2025, the possession of a specific breed of dog will be deemed unlawful without an exemption certificate granted by local authorities. As a precondition to acquire this certificate, dog owners must demonstrate that their pets are licensed, surgically neutered and implanted with a microchip. This breed has been previously outlawed in Britain as a consequence of various attacks.
In Ireland, despite numerous restrictions on owning certain breeds, this particular breed has been singled out for prohibition. Recently revealed governmental data indicate a considerable surge in aggressive canine behaviour. In the previous year, the Department reported 442 instances of injuries caused by ferocious dogs, showing a 44 percent rise from 2022.
With regards to violent canine conduct, there has been a remarkable 75 percent surge in reported cases, escalating from 791 to 1,383. The past year also witnessed a modest rise in dog-induced attacks on livestock, with 276 reported incidents reflecting a three per cent increase.