Election candidate loses fingertip in dog attack through letter box while canvassing

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A Green Party council candidate had her fingertip bitten off by a dog as she posted a leaflet while on the marketing campaign path for the native elections.

Danica Priest was leafleting in Bristol forward of the 2 May ballot when the canine pounced as she put her occasion’s literature through the letter box.

The house owners of the dog later returned to seek out Ms Priest’s fingertip inside their dwelling subsequent to a bloodstained leaflet.

Recalling the harrowing incident in a submit on X, she wrote: “Leafleting took a dark turn today unfortunately.

“I have sadly lost half of my finger and am in the hospital waiting to see if they can attach it again.  Luckily I have the amazing @EllieFreemanBS3 with me who stopped everything and drove to be with me.”

Ms Priest, the Green candidate for Filwood, instructed The Independent she underwent profitable reconstructive surgical procedure on Saturday.

She stated she was now on the “road to recovery”, including: “It wasn’t a difficult letter box – I didn’t hear a dog behind the door”.

Ms Priest stated she didn’t know what sort of dog attacked her, however was later instructed by its house owners that it was not a harmful dog like an XL Bully and had no historical past of aggressive behaviour.

The dog house owners have been capable of attain Ms Priest as a result of she had left her contact particulars with their neighbours.

Colleagues despatched their greatest needs and urged dog house owners to make their letterboxes safer.

“Send healing vibes to our Danica please, nastily injured in the line of campaigning duty,” Emma Edwards,  chief of the Green Group of councillors in Bristol, wrote on X.

“Also, all folk leafletting for local elections currently, the advice to use a spatula is not a joke, spatulas save fingers (I actually have a spatula missing a corner from a dog bite ).”

Patrick McAllister, a Green councillor in Bristol,  additionally wished Ms Priest a speedy restoration and warned activists to take care while out leafleting.

“Hoping for a swift recovery for Danica; this is an awful injury and incredibly unlucky,” he wrote on X.

“A good reminder to all campaigners to use an implement like a spatula or wooden spoon to post your leaflets. I had to retire my first spatula because a dog took a bite from it.”