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Irish Independent

‘Panic' in Dundalk estate as dog roaming among playing kids may have been XL Bully

The Argus understands the dog escaped from a property in the Doolargy area of Muirhevnamor, and ran out on to a public space. Local councillor, Kevin Meenan, said he had received 'numerous calls from residents' on Tuesday morning, with some recalling 'panic' when the dog was spotted. "There was a lot of shouting at kids to get inside as local people believed it was an XL Bully.' He explained that people living locally believe the dog is owned by a resident of the Doolargy area. "This was a potentially dangerous incident. We all know the risks that XL Bully dogs come with, especially when children are around.' New regulations under the Control of Dogs Act were introduced in 2024 governing XL Bully breeds. It is now illegal to import, breed, sell or re-home XL Bullies in Ireland. It is also illegal to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate. Cllr. Meenan called for greater monitoring of the area by dog wardens from Louth County Dog Pound. The incident followed concerns raised by Cllr. Meenan at the July meeting of Dundalk Municipal District where he reported other 'dangerous dogs' which he said had been 'roaming free' in Muirhevnamor, 'leaving children afraid to walk to school.' He said he believed these dogs, which have been seen in Muirhevnamor, were likely from both private houses and council houses. 'I just wanted to flag this up, as we can't have dangerous dogs roaming the streets.' ADVERTISEMENT Learn more He highlighted fears among local people that these dogs 'could be vicious' and that they were 'leaving young people afraid to walk to school, and people afraid to walk to mass' The Argus contacted Louth County Council for a response to the issues raised by Cllr. Meenan at the Dundalk Municipal meeting. A spokesperson said: 'This matter is currently the subject of an active investigation. Our dog wardens have been patrolling and monitoring the area over recent weeks. We encourage any members of the public who witness roaming dogs or observe any suspicious activity to report it to the Louth County Council Dog Warden Service by calling 042 932 4345 or emailing vets@ Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme