Couple on honeymoon denied entry to Bali after dog chews passport
A couple have been denied entry after a 16-hour flight to Bali after finding out one of their passports had been chewed by their dog.
UK couple Daniel and Tia Farthing splashed out more than A$7000 on the once-in-a-lifetime trip to Indonesia.
But they never even got out of the airport after officials decided the damaged document was not acceptable and put them on the first plane home.
They landed back in the UK at the end of a 25,015-kilometre round trip less than 48 hours after they had left.
And now their four-year-old labrador collie cross Milo – who nibbled a corner of Mr Farthing’s passport as a puppy – is well and truly in the doghouse.
Ms Farthing said Milo’s aware of his guilt because “he’s been constantly coming to us for cuddles”.
“My father-in-law put on Facebook: ‘Due to events, dog for sale’. Now it’s hard to see the funny side,” she said.
The problem began when Mr Farthing’s new passport came in the post four years ago.
“Milo got to it first and chewed it,” Ms Farthing said.
Mr Farthing used it to travel around Europe without any trouble.
He said UK Border Force staff had assured him it would be fine for going to Indonesia as all the key details were intact.
But the couple were left traumatised by the ordeal – which saw Mr Farthing detained for seven hours at Singapore on the way home.
“We got married last year and planned our honeymoon for our first anniversary,” Ms Farthing said.
“We’d booked an elephant safari, a villa and pool. It was going to be so special.”
The couple, who left their two-year-old son Jacob at home with family, passed through Singapore with no problems but on landing in Bali they were denied entry.
They were then put on a flight back to Singapore, where Mr Farthing said he was made to feel like a criminal in a locked room with around 30 others.
“I was shaking and throwing up,” he said.
“It was a horrendous experience.”
Hospital receptionist Tia said it was “really scary” being separated from Daniel and ran up a $380 phone bill ringing relatives.
“When we landed back at Heathrow, an air hostess looked at the passport and said, ‘Is this what all the fuss was about?’” Ms Farthing said.
The couple lost all but $1076 of the cost of the trip and relatives have started a crowdfunding page.
– With Australscope
