[WATCH] Owning a non-pedigree bully breed dog is now illegal

The breeding and selling of non-pedigree or mixed bully breed dogs is now illegal, the Animal Rights Ministry has announced.

The announcement was made in a press conference on Tuesday morning addressed by Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo and Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said.

Under the new law, the breeding, purchasing, owning and advertisement of mixed or non-pedigree bully breed dogs will be illegal, with an administrative fine of €1,000 for first-time offenders with not prior animal welfare breaches.

On first conviction a person shall be liable to a fine of not less than €2,000 but not exceeding €65,000, or imprisonment for three years, or both. On second or subsequent conviction, a person shall be liable to a fine of not less than €6,000, but not exceeding €80,000, or imprisonment for three years, or both.

Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo and Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

The new rules are set to be enforced four months from their publication date on

The ministers on Tuesday assured current owners of non-pedigree or mixed bully breed dogs that they will not be affected by this legislation.

Under the new law, people looking to purchase or adopt a bully breed dog can only do so from a recognised kennel club. The proposed legislation also aims to establish and define the role of kennel clubs and the information these need to keep when registering and issuing a pedigree.

The Animal Welfare Director will be obliged to keep a list of registered kennel clubs.

The new rules also establish a definition of a pedigree certificate as a documented record, registered with a kennel club, detailing a dog’s lineage, often stemming from specific breeds bred to showcase particular physical attributes.

Left to right: American Bully, American Bulldog, American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Bull Terrier, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Dogue De Bordeaux, English Bulldog, French Bulldog

The law also defines bully breed dogs, and the following breeds fall under the new law: American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire bull Terrier, Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, Bull Terrier, American Bully, American Pitbull Terrier, Old English Bulldog, American Bulldog, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Miniature Bull terrier, Cane Corso, Dogue De Bordeaux, Presa Canario, Neapolitan Mastiff, Boston Terrier, Tibetan Mastiff and South African Boerboel.

Left to right: Miniature Bull Terrier, Neapolitan Mastiff, Old English Bulldog, Presa Canario, South African Boerboel, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tibetan Mastiff

People who come to live in Malta from overseas will only be allowed to remain in possession of their non-pedigree or mixed bully breed dog if they have been in possession of it for a period of more than six months, and it should also be registered to their name.

The bully debate

The debate around bully breeds in Malta is a longstanding one, and is sent into overdrive once an incident makes the rounds on social media and newspapers.

Earlier this year 27 bully breed dogs were rescued from a Ħaż-Żebbuġ residence in April.

The rescue saw a number of NGOs and the Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina calling for a temporary ban on the breeding of these dogs to curb their high rate of abandonment.

In her 2021 end of year report, Bezzina had called for a nation-wide ban on the importation and breeding of bully breeds. She argued that bull breeds account for many dogs which are abandoned by their owners and thrown out into the streets.

This year, government also launched free neutering of bully breeds in a pilot project, which Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Alicia Buegja Said said is expected to be extended to include all breeds.

‘We wanted to strike a balance’ – Anton Refalo

Questioned why government has not opted for a full ban on bully breed dogs, Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo said it wanted to strike a balance.

“In our opinion it is not the right way to tackle the issue,” he said.

Refalo also said “this is not the final step”, but rather the first, as government will analyse the new law and build on it.

Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said said the new law looks to build on previous government efforts to improve the sector.