We’ve all used the ‘my dog ate my homework’ excuse before.
But I don’t think this British expat ever thought he’d need to pull that old chestnut out in front of Spanish border authorities as he pleaded with them to be allowed to board his flight back to the UK.
And what was even more absurd, it wasn’t an excuse.
His girlfriend’s dog had actually eaten his passport right before he was due to fly back to London on Sunday.
His concerned mother posted an urgent plea for help in a Facebook group for expats living in Javea.
“Help! My son is stuck at Valencia Airport. His girlfriend’s dog ate his passport! He has his NIE but they won’t let him fly to Gatwick,” she explained.
“What can he do tomorrow to get back to the UK as soon as possible, as he is due back at work tomorrow.”
You would be forgiven to immediately read the post and have a chuckle.
But a quick scroll through the comments and you start to realise it’s a serious matter.
There are more than 100 people who commented with links to the British consulate and advice to plead the case to the airport’s immigration office.
One person even suggested the dog responsible be scanned.
In the end, the expat’s mother explained that the step her son needed to take was to apply for an ‘emergency passport’.
You can apply online for an appointment, but cannot just unexpectedly turn up at the consulate.
“The response is very quick. My son has an appointment in Barcelona between 10am – 11am tomorrow. He can then fly out of Barcelona in the afternoon. Fingers crossed,” she explained.
The Londoner seems to be in the clear for now, but fair to say he won’t be leaving his passport anywhere near dogs anytime soon.
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