Fermanagh & Omagh District Council could soon be facing a huge bill to house dangerous dogs before they can be put down.
From January 1 next year, it will be illegal in Northern Ireland to own an XL Bully dog without an exemption certificate.
The ban is being introduced after the dogs were responsible for a series of horrific attacks in Ireland and the UK in recent years, some of which resulted in fatalities.
It’s emerged there are currently ten XL Bully dogs registered in the local council area.
There are a total of 335 XL Bully dogs registered across Northern Ireland, but there are believed to be many more which have not been registered by their owners.
Council officials have visited the local XL Bully owners who have registered their dogs to remind them of the need to secure an exemption certificate if they want to keep their animals from January 1.
However, to date, the council has revealed, only three of the owners have applied for the necessary certificate ahead of the December 31 deadline.
If an exemption certificate is not applied for, a dog may be seized by the local council and kept in kennels until the required legal permission is granted to put the animal down.
It’s been estimated such a legal process could take up to a year to complete.
A report on the issues around the incoming ban will be discussed at a meeting tomorrow evening of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council’s Environmental Services Committee.
The report states: “Officers have contacted the Council’s current Animal Welfare Care and Collection provider and they have confirmed that they will be in a position to kennel XL Bully type dogs from 1 January 2025 should the need arise.
“This will be at a cost to the Council of £25.00 for each day an XL Bully dog remains in their care.
“It is anticipated that any legal process to obtain a court order to put a dog to sleep will be approximately six months to one year based on current court proceeding timings.
“These costs will not be met by DAERA and Regulatory Services have not budgeted for these additional costs in the current financial year.”
The report adds that should additional private kennelling be required, the cost per dog could equate to approximately £5,000, based on 200 days at £25 per day, whilst a court order is being sought.
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