The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Councillor attacked by dog
F“The most annoying thing is there wasn’t a ‘beware of the dog’ sign
ife Council co-leader David Alexander has been bitten by a dog while on the campaign trail. The 67-year-old SNP leader was thwarted by a rottweiler-type dog as he tried to deliver a leaflet to a house in Largo on Monday.
He had just opened the garden gate when the animal went for him.
As he slowly backed off, it pounced and bit him on the leg.
Mr Alexander is standing for re-election to Fife Council’s Leven, Kennoway and Largo ward on May 5.
He lives in Kennoway and has represented the town since he was first elected on to Kirkcaldy District Council.
He described the incident as a scary moment and said it was the first time it had happened to him in his 36 years as a councillor.
The SNP member said he gave the dog “a full verbal blasting” as it lunged at him.
“That seemed to work up to a point,” he said.
“After its initial shock it seemed to want to come back but an owner came out and it backed off.
“The most annoying thing is there wasn’t a ‘beware of the dog’ sign.
“If there was, I wouldn’t have gone in.
“While I was going to get away from this brute one way or another, even after being bitten, others might not.”
Mr Alexander reported the incident to the Fife Council’s dog wardens.
He then sought treatment for the bite.
“I went to the pharmacy and got it cleaned,” he said.
“It’s a bit nippy but it’s going to heal.”
However, he is undeterred in his campaign and was back out delivering more leaflets yesterday.
It is not the first time a Fife councillor has been bitten by a dog while campaigning.
In 2013, Peter Grant, who was the council’s opposition leader at the time, was bitten on the finger as he leafleted on behalf of the Yes campaign before the independence referendum.