Guards drag elderly man and therapy dog off a train for not having proper identification

An elderly man, traveling with his therapy dog, was first asked to disembark from the train and was later forcibly removed by guards.

Daily Mail reported that the incident took place on a train in Perth, Western Australia.

A disagreement between guards and an elderly man turned into a scuffle as the traveler was forced to disembark while commuting with his dog.

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The footage shows two guards talking to a man on a train in Perth and seems like a verbal dispute. However, it soon turns into a physical fight.

The man is then grabbed by both arms and dragged towards the exit while his therapy dog follows him.

According to News.com.au, the man was visiting from interstate and was on a Mandra train. He was approached by the guards who wanted to know the reason he had the dog with him.

The man told them that he suffered from a medical condition and had to travel with his therapy dog. According to witnesses, one of the guards told him that “that was not grounds to have a dog on a train.”

He then showed them a document on his phone in order to prove the dog was for therapy purposes. However, he was asked to leave by the officers.

One of the guards grabbed the traveler’s suitcase when the confrontation turned physical and the man even tried to hit one of them.

The man refused to get off the train, insisting that he had been given permission at a different station. Eventually, they resorted to physical force, dragging him from the train.

The Perth Transport Authority claimed that the guards were merely doing their job and did nothing wrong.

“We have reviewed the footage and are satisfied that our transit officers have performed their duties appropriately. We have no concerns about the manner in which the man was removed.”

David Hynes, Daily Mail, July 31, 2018.

Hynes, a spokesman for the transport authority, said that a robust system was in place to review.

The system includes recording any such interactions and written reports along with CCTV footage are submitted to senior officers.

Shedding light on the process, he said that in case of concerns, the matters are escalated to the manager of professional standards and then to the investigations manager if required.

The investigations manager could then refer the concerns to the Public Section Commission or the Corruption and Crime Commission for further review. He added that the department was committed to transparency.

With regard to the rules around travel with assistance animals as was the case with the man in the video, Transperth wants the travelers to carry a valid photo ID of the dog or even have a marked harness that identifies the owner.

According to News.com.au, the man was let off after he was given a verbal caution for his behavior.

Those using a therapy dog are required to carry a public access certification. The legislation can vary from state to state and the publication advised people to check with their local government.