Bid to rehome XL Bully dogs in Sweden ahead of tighter laws 

On October 1, it will become illegal to import, breed, sell, or rehome XL Bully-type dogs.

An animal welfare charity is offering Irish homeless XL Bully-type dogs to Swedish homes ahead of next week’s restrictions on the breed.

The offer comes as a census takes place on Wednesday to establish how many dogs are homeless in rescues and pounds across Ireland.

Dog welfare organisations in Ireland are battling to rehome abandoned XL Bully dogs before October 1, when it will become illegal to import, breed, sell, or rehome XL Bully-type dogs.

From February 1 next year, it will be illegal to own an XL Bully-type dog without a certificate of exemption issued by the local authority in which the dog resides. XL Bully owners must apply for the certificate of exemption after October 1 and before February 1.

Some organisations have linked up with Sweden-based Hundar Utan Hem (Dogs Without Homes), a charity which has taken scores of Ireland’s unwanted pups in recent years.

The charity is now listing 19 XL Bully-type dogs on its website from charities in Ireland, with hopes of rehoming them in Sweden.

“Many loving family dogs will be abandoned in the near future,” said the charity in a statement. 

For those XL Bully-type dogs already waiting for their forever homes, the odds have now significantly worsened. Time is ticking for these dogs.”

The charity is appealing to Swedish dog lovers to assist the dogs before the law comes into effect next Tuesday. The law is being introduced following high-profile incidents involving XL Bully-type dogs, including the death of Nicole Morey in Limerick in June after she returned home after marking her 23rd birthday.

Hundar Utan Hem says it rehomes more than 700 Irish dogs annually, totalling an estimated 11,000 dogs since 2005.

Dawn Divilly, director of operations at Madra dog rescue in Galway, said that the homeless census was undertaken last year for the first time, in a joint initiative with Galway County Council and the Department of Rural and Community Development.

She said there were 3,277 homeless dogs in 120 shelters and local authority shelters last year.

Ms Divilly said rescues are inundated with the rehoming of XL Bully-type dogs, with pressure mounting ahead of next week’s deadline.

She said that similar restrictions introduced last year in Britain have been monitored by Irish animal welfare organisations.

“It has been very challenging [there] and is still very challenging but, unfortunately, the Government has decided to go ahead with a very similar model here,” said Ms Divilly.

On Wednesday, all rescues across the country will submit their figures to Madra, while Galway County Council and the Department of Rural and Community Development will collate the number of dogs in local authority pounds. The overall figure will be released on October 4, which is World Animal Day.