Dog Regulations, 2024

L.N. 183 of 2024

ANIMAL WELFARE ACT

(CAP. 439)

Prohibition of Breeding and Keeping of Non-Pedigree Bully Type

Dog Regulations, 2024

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by articles 20 and 43A of

the Animal Welfare Act, the Minister responsible for veterinary

services has made the following regulations

(1) The title of these regulations is the Prohibition of

Breeding and Keeping of Non-Pedigree Bully Type Dog Regulations,

2024. (2) These regulations prohibit the advertisement, sale, breeding

and keeping of non-pedigree bully type dogs.

(3) These regulations shall come into force within four (4)

months from the date of their publication.

Bully Breeds confirmation standards

(regulation 2)

General impression

Large dog with a muscular body and a blocky

head, suggesting great strength and power for its

size. Powerfully built. Overall the dog should have

an athletic appearance.

Height

Adult dog from 12 inches (30 cm) at the withers.

Adult bitch from 11 inches (28 cm) at the withers.

Height to weight ratio should be in proportion.

Head

Heavy, large and broad. The length from the tip of

the nose to a well-defined point (indentation

between muzzle and the head) is equal to around

one-third of the length from the tip of the nose to

the back of the head. Muzzle blocky or slightly

squared to droop below the eyes. The dog should

have a good depth from the top of head to the bot-

tom of the jaw and a straight box-like muzzle. Eyes

should be small and deep-set, triangular when

viewed from the side and elliptical from front.

Topline of muzzle straight. Prominent cheek mus-

cles with strong, well-defined jaws and lips semi-

close. Often having prominent wrinkles on face.

Nose is large with well opened nostrils. The dis-

tance from the back of the head to between the eyes

should be about equal to the distance from between

the eyes to the tip of its nose. Head should appear

to be wedge shaped when viewed from the side and

top but rounded when viewed from the front. The

head should be around 2/3 width of shoulders and

1/4 wider at cheeks than at the base of the skull

(this is due to the cheek muscles).

Teeth

Level or scissor bite

Neck

Heavy, muscular, slightly arched, tapering from the

shoulders to the base of the skull.

Medium in length.

Forequarters

Shoulder blades are long, well-muscled and well

laid back. Upper arm length is about equal to the

length of the shoulder blades and joined at a 35 to

45 angle to the ground. Front legs straight, strong

and very muscular with dog standing high on the

pasterns (area between feet and ankles). Elbows set

close to the body. Distance from the withers to

elbows about the same as the distance from the

elbow to the bottom of the feet. Shoulders should

be wider than the rib cage at the eighth rib. Its

elbows should be flat with its front legs running

parallel to the spine.

Body

Height to the top of its shoulders are the same dis-

tance as from the front of its shoulder to the rear

point of its hip. Heavily-muscled. Large, blocky

body giving impression of great power for size.

Broad, deep chest with well sprung ribs. Chest may

be wider than deep. Topline level and straight. Loin

short and firm. Generally appears square shaped

from point of the shoulder to the point of the but-

tocks compared with the withers (tallest point on

the dog’s body excluding head and shoulders) to

the ground. Forelegs should be heavy and solid and

nearly twice the thickness of the hind legs just

below the hock. Rib cage should be deep and

spring straight out from the spine, it should be

elliptical in cross section tapering at the bottom and

not "barrel" chested. Broad hip that allows good

attachment of muscles in the hindquarters and hind

legs. Knee joint should be in the upper third of the

dog’s rear leg, and the bones below that should

appear light, fine and springy.

Hindquarters

Strong, muscular and broad. Thighs well devel-

oped with thick musculature. From behind, both

pasterns are typically straight and parallel to each

other. Muscular development, angulation and

width in balance with forequarters.

Feet

Rounded, medium in size and in proportion to

body. Compact and well arched.

Tail

Medium length and low set. Tapers to a point to

end at about the level of the hocks. Generally

assumes a straight or pump handle shape when dog

relaxed.

Coat

Coat should be short, bristled, glossy, smooth,

close and single.

Glossary

Bite

the relative position of the upper and lower teeth

when the mouth is closed.

Coat

the hairy outer covering of the skin.

Croup

part of the back from the front of the pelvis to

root of the tail.

Forequarters

the front part of dog excluding head and neck.

Hindquarters

the rear part of dog from behind the loin.

Loin

the region between the last rib and the beginning

of the pelvis.

Musculature

the muscles on an animal’s body.

Muzzle

the length from the tip of the nose to the stop.

Pasterns

the pastern is the lower part of the foreleg, just

above the foot and below the wrist. Similarly, in the

hind leg, the pastern is the portion located above the

foot and below the heel (also known as the hock). Every

canine possesses a pair of front and rear pasterns.

Scissor bite

the upper front teeth closely overlapping the

lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Spring of rib

degree of curvature of rib cage.

Tail set

the position of the tail on the croup.

Tapering

becomes progressively smaller towards one end.

Topline

an outline behind the withers to the tail set.

Viewed from the side of the dog or from above.

Withers

the highest point of body immediately behind the

neck where height is measured

(1)

For the purpose of these regulations

"Act" means the Animal Welfare Act;

"breeding" means the mating and production of offspring of

dogs;

"bully breeds" means dogs which conform to the

description in the First Schedule and which include the physical

characteristics of the following breeds

(a) American Staffordshire Terrier;

(b) Staffordshire bull Terrier;

(c) Bullmastiff;

(d) Dogo Argentino;

(e)

Bull Terrier;

(f)

American Bully;

(g)

American Pitbull Terrier;

(h)

Old English Bulldog;

(i)

American Bulldog;

(j)

English Bulldog;

(k)

French Bulldog;

(l)

Bull terrier;

(m) Miniature Bull terrier;

(n)

Cane Corso;

(o)

Dogue De Bordeaux;

(p)

Presa Canario;

(q)

Neapolitan Mastiff;

(r)

Boston Terrier;

(s)

Tibetan Mastiff;

(t)

South African Boerboel;

and crossbreeds thereof;

"Director" means the Director responsible for the Animal

Welfare and includes, to the extent of the authority given, any

officer authorised by him in writing, to act in that behalf for any

of the purposes of these regulations;

"dog" means an animal of the Canis lupus familiaris

species or an animal resulting from the hybridisation between

Canis lupus familiaris and another species;

"keeper" means any person having charge of, or who

habitually feeds or looks after a dog, including the owners of dog

sanctuaries and pet shops;

"kennel club" means a voluntary organisation registered in

accordance with regulation 6 with advancing the interests of one

(1) or more breeds of dogs by establishing standards, providing

competitions, and recording pedigrees and which shall be

recognised by an internationally recognised kennel club;

"non-pedigree" means a dog of no specific breed or no

known breed and which is not registered with a recognised

kennel club;

"non-pedigree bully type dog" means dogs that conform with

the description stipulated in the First Schedule and which exhibit

physical characteristics typical of bully breeds but which do not

have a formal pedigree or registration with a recognised kennel

club;

''owner'' means the person or legal entity in whose name the

dog is registered in accordance with the Electronic Identification

of Dogs Regulations;

"pedigree" means the record of the descent of the dog

proven to be pure bred and being in conformity to specific genetic

characteristics as recognised for that particular breed;

"pedigree certificate" means a document, registered with a

recognised kennel club documenting the ancestry of a dog often

whose parents are specific breeds bred specifically to exhibit

particular physical characteristics;

"pure-breed" means pedigree dogs bred from members of a

recognised breed or kind without outbreeding over many

generations which are registered with a recognised kennel club.

(2) Unless the context otherwise requires, the words and

phrases used in these regulations which are not defined herein shall

have the same meaning assigned to them in the Act.

(regulation 5)

The details which shall be listed in the pedigree certificate shall be the

following

(a)

the name of the issuing kennel club;

(b)

entry number issued by the kennel club;

(c)

date of issue;

(d)

identification;

(e)

date of birth;

(f)

breed;

(g)

colour of coat;

(h)

sex;

(i)

name and address of breeder;

(j)

name and address of owner; and

Father __________________ Grandfather____________

Grandmother________

Pedigree No._____________ Pedigree No.___________

Pedigree No._________

Mother__________________ Grandfather____________

Grandmother________

Pedigree No._____________ Pedigree No.___________

Pedigree No._________

€0.81

No person shall breed non-pedigree bully type dogs.

(1) No person shall keep in his possession non-pedigree

breed bully type dogs which are born after the entry into force of these

regulations

Provided that non-pedigree breed bully type dogs entering

Malta from another Member State shall have been in the possession of

their keeper for not less than six (6) months and shall be registered on

their keeper in accordance with the Electronic Identification of Dogs

Regulations by not later than thirty (30) days from their entry into

Provided further that this does not apply for non-pedigree

bully type dogs which were assigned to the person by the Director.

(2)

The advertisement of non-pedigree bully type dogs shall be

prohibited.

(3) The sale of non-pedigree bully type dogs shall be

prohibited.

(1) The details which shall be listed in the pedigree Details which

certificate of pure-breed dogs shall be those specified in the Second shall

specified in the

Schedule.

pedigree

certificate of

pure-breed

(2) The results of performance tests and the results with origin dogs.

of the assessment of the genetic value, on the dog itself and its parents

and grandparents, shall be clearly indicated and accompanied or be

included in the pedigree certificate.

(3) If the Director has reasonable cause to believe that a dog is

not pure-bred, he may request that a DNA test is carried out and issued

from an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, at the expense of the keeper

if the Director’s suspicions are confirmed.

(1) An organisation registered as a voluntary Recognition of

organisation with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations may kennel clubs.

apply with the Director to be recognised and registered as a kennel

club on the appropriate form as may be published by the Director at the

time

Provided that an organisation registered as a voluntary

organisation with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations for

the purpose of establishing standards, organising competitions, and

registering pedigree certificates by the date of publication of these

regulations shall be exempted from the requirement of being

recognised by an internationally recognised kennel club.

(2) Registration applications for kennel clubs are to be

submitted using the appropriate form which shall include

(a)

the applicant’s details;

(b)

the responsible person details;

(c) the kennel club details including the address and any

relevant contact information;

(d) the details of any advertising platform used by the

kennel club to sell or offer for adoption dogs or puppies;

(e)

the voluntary organisation number;

(f)

proof of affiliation with an internationally recognised

kennel club;

(g) proof of registration with the Commissioner of

Voluntary Organisations and scope of establishment of the

voluntary organisation in accordance with the Voluntary

Organisations Act

Provided that the Director may request at any time from the

kennel club, any other relevant information or additional document

which is deemed necessary.

(3)

A kennel club registration shall be renewed every year.

(1) There shall be a register kept by the Director which

shall be called the "Kennel Club Registry" which shall include all the

registered kennel clubs and their relevant information.

(2) The Director may publish an updated list of all the

registered kennel clubs on the respective Government portal.

(1) The Director, animal welfare officers and other

officers delegated with such authority to monitor compliance to these

regulations may seize, confiscate, impound, and examine any dog for

the purpose of determining whether it complies or otherwise with the

provisions of these regulations.

(2) The Director may confiscate those non-pedigree bully type

dogs that are not in conformity with these regulations or make any

other arrangements as the Director may deem necessary.

(1) Any person who contravenes or acts in violation of

these regulations shall on conviction, be guilty of an offence and shall

be liable to the punishments established in article 45 of the Act.

(2) Where the Director has reasonable cause to believe that an

offence against these regulations has been committed and that it would

be appropriate to impose an administrative penalty in accordance with

article 47 of the Act, the Director shall proceed in accordance with the

provisions of the said article.

Immediately after the item "Karozzini" in the Schedule to

the Administrative Penalties relating to Offences committed against

the Animal Welfare Act Regulations, there shall be added the

following new items

On first conviction a

Prohibition

of

L.N. 183 of

Breeding of non-

Not

person, shall be liable to a

breeding

and

2024. pedigree bully type

more

fine (multa) of not less than

keeping of non-

(regulation 3)

dogs

than

€2,000, but not exceeding

pedigree

bully

€1,000

€65,000 or to a term of

type dogs

imprisonment of three (3)

years, or to both such fine

L.N. 183 of

Keeping, sale or

Not

and imprisonment.

2024. advertisement

of

more

(regulation 4)

non-pedigree bully

than

On

second

or

type dogs

€1,000

subsequent conviction, a

person shall be liable to a

fine (multa) of not less than

€6,000, but not exceeding

€80,000, or to a term of

imprisonment of three (3)

years, or to both such fine

and imprisonment.