Election candidate loses fingertip in canine assault by way of letter field whereas canvassing | EUROtoday

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

Danica Priest was leafleting in Bristol forward of the two May ballot when the canine pounced as she put her social gathering’s literature by way of the letter field.

The homeowners of the canine later returned to search out Ms Priest’s fingertip inside their house subsequent to a bloodstained leaflet.

Recalling the harrowing incident in a put up 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 mentioned 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 mentioned she didn’t know what sort of canine attacked her, however was later instructed by its homeowners that it was not a harmful canine like an XL Bully and had no historical past of aggressive behaviour.

The canine homeowners have been in a position to attain Ms Priest as a result of she had left her contact particulars with their neighbours.

Colleagues despatched their finest needs and urged canine homeowners 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 whereas 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.”