Airline mistakenly separates blind man from his service dog

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A British airline has apologized to a blind customer after he was incorrectly advised to leave his guide dog at home.

Tony Barclay was scheduled to travel from Belfast to London but a staffer on easyJet’s special assistance team told him his guide dog, Wallace, required a pet passport, according to airline rules.

Barclay was concerned Wallace would be seized or not be permitted to return home so he left the dog behind.

He had to find someone to watch the dog while he was away and pay for two additional flights so his wife could accompany him on the trip.

All that and Barclay later learned the pet passports were postponed to October so his dog could have accompanied him.

“My wife describes me as blind without Wallace, because with him by my side I can do almost everything,” he told Belfast Live. “He keeps me safe, he’s a comfort and a friend and he knows how I want to live my life day-to-day. He ensures I can do that.”

He continued: “Having sight loss is generally described as a disability but I describe myself as being differently-abled because I can manage with Wallace. But easyJet’s decision to basically bar Wallace from their domestic flight from Belfast to London, has disabled me all over again.”

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Barclay, who was a police constable before he went blind at the age of 36, said the situation left him “upset,” “deeply emotional” and “angry.”

He added: “I’d look after Wallace before I’d worry about anything else, he is my lifeline, my life-saver, protector and enabler.”

The British budget airline issued an apology.

“We welcome passengers travelling with recognized assistance dogs and carry hundreds every year,” a spokeswoman for easyJet said. “We are incredibly sorry that Mr Barclay was provided with incorrect information about the requirements for his assistance dog to travel with us.

“This was, unfortunately, the result of a manual error which we are following up to ensure this does not happen in the future.”

She added that the airline has been in touch with Barclay to not only apologize and clarify their policy but also reimburse him in full for his flights, as well as gift him with flight vouchers.