- By Alex Pope & Graham Barnard
- BBC News, Suffolk
Image source, Joanne Stone
Jon Petty’s guide dog Dixon was not enabled into Banham Zoo in Norfolk
A zoo has actually apologised for not enabling a blind man to take his guide dog into its tourist attraction and said the policy was to avoid “distress” to its animals.
Jo Stone said her dad Jon Petty was not able to go to Banham Zoo in Norfolk and was informed they must have alerted the zoo when purchasing tickets online.
She said he was left “irate” by the occurrence, including: “It’s not appropriate to turn somebody away.”
The zoo said it was settling strategies to enable help and guide dogs in.
Ms Stone, from Fornham All Saints near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, said her dad, who lives close by, was asked if his five-year-old dog Dixon had actually been specifically booked in prior to he was declined entry.
“We were a bit shocked as it’s not something we have actually ever needed to do,” she said.
“We’ve never ever been declined to anywhere as it’s a legal requirement to let guide dogs in – it wasn’t something we inspected.”
Image source, Banham Zoological Gardens
Banham Zoo has more than 100 animals from giraffes to tigers, leopards, meerkats and red pandas
Josh Hunter-Harl, from Banham Zoo, said: “Due to the threat postured by the unforeseeable nature of interaction in between dogs and zoo animals, like numerous other zoos throughout the UK, our existing visitor policy mentions that we do not presently enable any dogs on website, consisting of help dogs.”
But he said the zoo, consisting of sis zoo Africa Alive in Suffolk, was “in the lasts of settling our help dogs policy to enable guide dogs on website”.
He said dogs would be enabled if visitors offered 2 days advanced notification to enable “us to make the sensible modifications”.
The zoo has actually apologised to the family, reimbursed their see and provided a complimentary journey for when the policy remains in location, he included.
Image source, Joanne Stone
Mr Petty’s child Jo said her daddy was left “irate” by the zoo occurrence
The charity Guide Dogs said: “Zoos are not exempt under the Equality Act in regards to having the ability to turn guide or other help dogs away, however we identify that each business and service is distinct and there might have been some locations of the zoo where a help dog might not have actually appropriated.
“We would hope that all provider, consisting of zoos, would evaluate their no dog policy to clear up modifications in line with the Equality Act 2010.”
