Sir, – With the upcoming UK ban on American XL Bully dogs, following a series of severe and fatal attacks in the UK over the last 2½ years, it is necessary for the Government here to follow suit. Our basic restrictions (short lead, muzzle, person over 16 in charge) on 11 breeds and their crosses are hardly ever enforced and have been under scrutiny by dog charities, with lobbying to remove them. These groups argue that all we need is “responsible ownership”, failing to acknowledge that this premise rests on two fallacies: that humans will not make mistakes and that the dogs will not act out of character in any circumstances. Most sensible people would agree that it might be too much to ask for our communities to accommodate the ownership of animals bred over centuries to succeed in blood sports.
The Dáil should devise and implement a plan right now to avoid accommodating the surplus that will be moved over to this island. That sounds responsible to me. – Yours, etc,
EDWARD POSTER,
Greystones,
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Co Wicklow.
