A street blighted by a series of dog attacks has welcomed the news of a ban on XL Bullies.

Yesterday it was announced the breed would be outlawed under the Dangerous Dog Act on December 31.

The new legislation has been brought forward by the government after it grew concerned over a rise in fatal attacks involving XL Bullies.

For more than a year residents of Collier Street near Marden have been victims of multiple attacks by the breed with one dog dying from its injuries.

It was understood to be the same dog behind the attacks, and the owner was served with a Community Protection Notice ordering them to keep the pet on a lead and muzzled in public.

Tessa Burr was the most recent victim in February when her four-year-old chihuahua needed specialist treatment after a run-in with it.

Eight months on and Evie is fully recovered, but hearing the news of the ban on XL Bullies moved the 53-year-old dog groomer to tears.

She said: “I was driving when I heard it on the radio and I had to pull over and had a little cry. It was like it was justice for Evie.

“Obviously it won’t stop certain people breeding them, in fact, it may push them underground and even make them more desirable but something needed to be done.

“Prevention is the key to all of this. I’m not saying it’s every dog nor am I blaming all owners but the fact is an XL Bully breed attacked my Evie.

“It was awful what happened to Evie but she is fully recovered and surprisingly not afraid of other dogs, though she is a little jittery if another, bigger dog comes bounding at her.

“But she’s fine now and chasing the rabbits again.”

Aydon Smith was another victim owner whose eight-year-old dachsund-shitzu cross Bailey was killed in his encounter.

He said: “There would be a bit of personal justice and I think it’s justified to give the dog the ban.

“I try to say it without bias but because of what happened to Bailey I am with the ban.

“I understand the argument being it’s the owners causing the issue and if you ban the dog they’ll just breed a different dog to be aggressive but they can weigh up to 60-70kg at a healthy weight.

“If you’re attacked by an aggressive labrador or chihuahua chances are you’ll survive but with an animal with the jaw strength and power of an XL Bully you probably won’t.

“If a dog’s got a history of attacking and being vicious then they should have protocol to preemptively act.

“I don’t think there’s anything for responsible owners to worry about. It doesn’t mean the dogs will be taken away but just applies more regulations to keep other dogs and people safe.”

An XL Bully is a blanket term to describe a range of different specific Bully breeds. The American XL Bully would need to be more specifically defined before any banning can take place.

Once this has been done, however, under the Dangerous Dog Act, it would be illegal to own, breed, gift, or sell an XL Bully.

A transition period will be in place for current owners who, for now, need not take any action.

However, if XL Bully owners do not come forward during this period, they would be committing a crime that could see them receive 14 years in prison, the privilege to own a dog revoked, or the dog may be put down.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said: “Dog attacks are devastating for victims and their families and it is clear that more now needs to be done to stop them and protect the public. That is why we are taking decisive action to ban the American XL Bully.

This is on top of the work the government has been doing for some time with the police and local authorities to encourage responsible dog ownership and make sure the full force of the law is being applied.

Rescues are being flooded with requests to take XL Bullies due to the news about the breed's imminent ban while others are defending the breed with parents in Ashford saying it is a “lifeline” for their autistic son.

An XL Bully also saved its owner from a flat fire while sleeping in his home in Minster, Sheerness.

Maidstone Borough Council has been involved with the issues of dog attacks in Collier Street since they were first reported in May 2022.

When asked about the situation a spokesman said: “The council community protection team investigated an incident in February 2023 involving dogs in Collier Street, which resulted in enforcement action being taken against the owner.

“This required the owner of the dogs to take reasonable steps to ensure that the dogs did not pose a risk to the community, with measures including wearing a muzzle and being kept on a lead while being exercised in a public place.

“Following the issue of a Community Protection Notice, resident concerns reported to the council have significantly reduced.”