A woman whose dachshund puppy was “torn apart” by an American XL Bully has backed the Home Secretary’s bid to ban the “lethal” breed.

Tracey Ground’s 11-month-old sausage dog was killed in the ordeal which took place in Chestfield, Whitstable, in August last year.

She and her husband were both injured in the attack, and the bully was later “destroyed” by police.

Yesterday, Suella Braverman pushed to ban the animals which she called a “clear and lethal danger”, especially to children.

The Cabinet minister announced she has commissioned “urgent advice” on outlawing the dogs after she highlighted an “appalling” attack on an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham.

It’s a move that has split opinion, but Mrs Grounds believes “something must be done” about the breed, which she describes as “fierce and menacing”.

She told KentOnline: “I wouldn't want anyone to go through what we went through and, unfortunately, it seems to be happening more and more.

“I think some people buy the dogs as a weapon.

“You see the guys out with them and they look quite menacing and you wonder if they are trying to portray a certain image.”

Describing the attack on her dog Stanley, she said: “The dog ran up to me and I felt a huge blow come from behind and I went to the ground.

“I remember looking up and seeing my puppy being dragged – and then I was dragged up the road because I had the lead around my hand. There was nothing I could do.

“I saw him tearing my Stanley apart. I can’t get that out of my head.”

Following the ordeal, Mrs Ground suffers from PTSD and is undergoing counselling.

She cannot revisit the scene of her pup’s death, meaning she can only enter the road one way, and can’t walk her other dog in close proximity.

She added: “Something needs to be done about the breed, especially when you look at the statistics of attacks which have happened in recent years and how many of them were the American XL.”

Group Bully Watch says there have been 11 confirmed deaths caused by the breed since 2021.

Its website says there have been more than 350 attacks since the start of 2023 – together with 43% of all recorded attacks this year having been caused by a large bully dog.

However, many fans of the breed claim they are not the dangerous beasts they are made out to be.

Last month a Canterbury woman won a court battle against council officials who were ordering a muzzle be put on her dog.

Teresa Ellinor adopted the bully, called Cleo, 17 months after it bit a toddler on the face, leaving the child with “heart-wrenching” injuries.

Canterbury City Council sent her a letter imposing the conditions, to which Ms Ellinor responded in court: “I just don’t want to upset Cleo, and the way that she’s being portrayed in that summons letter is not the dog that she is now - she’s amazing.

“You should see how good she is with my disabled son and grandchildren.”

The XL bully is still not officially recognised as a breed in its own right in the UK and is often a mix of other types of dog.

Experts say there may be issues with trying to clarify and enforce a breed-specific ban - despite Ms Braverman’s announcement that she’s gathering urgent advice.

Groups including the RSPCA and Dogs Trust would instead like to see more focus on individual actions and dangerous owners. They are also calling for stricter licensing for dog breeders and more control on imports so it is clearer as to where a dog has come from.

A Dogs Trust spokesman said: “Dogs Trust wants to see the current dog control laws replaced with one consolidated law that allows for early intervention with a focus on the prevention of dog bite incidents and includes measures that deter and punish owners of dogs whose behaviour is dangerous.

“We will continue to look for reform in existing dog control laws until we are satisfied that any new measures are preventative, breed-neutral and effective, and ultimately protect both dogs and people alike.”