NEW legislation has been put forward requiring owners of certain breeds of “dangerous” dog to register their pet and keep it muzzled in public, as well as imposing bans on breeding and selling the animals.
The Constables’ Committee has lodged amendments to the Dogs (Jersey) Act to introduce controls on dogs considered to be dangerous, including the XL Bully breed made illegal in the UK in 2023.
The proposed registration scheme will require the States vet to maintain a register of dangerous dogs, with the measures applicable to breeds deemed to fit the characteristics and measurements of an XL Bully, including the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Cane Corso and Presa Canario. Dogs with characteristics of types bred for fighting would be monitored on a case-by-case basis.
Owners would commit an offence if they failed to register their dangerous dogs, as well as being required to comply with certain conditions, including:
- Ensuring the registered address at which the dog is secure, to prevent escapes.
- Not breeding the dog, which must also be neutered.
- A ban on abandoning, giving away, selling or transferring the dog.
- Ensuring the dog is muzzled in public, and kept on a lead under the control of a person aged 18 or above.
- Having third-party public liability insurance in place.
Jersey’s law was last amended in February 2024, with the introduction of requirements that owners wishing to travel out of Jersey with their XL Bully dog must apply for an export licence, as well as seeking written confirmation that their dog can enter all the countries they are travelling to or through.
In the UK the Dangerous Dog Act was introduced in 1991 and amended in December 2023 to extend its scope to the XL Bully, with a valid exemption required in England and Wales to own an XL Bully in England and Wales.
The amendments are set to be debated by the States Assembly in September or October.
