Blind men say they were ‘accosted’ by animal rights activist for using guide dogs

A blind man claims he and his blind pal were verbally “accosted” by a self-proclaimed animal rights activist while they were at a bar with their guide dogs.

Amit Patel, a disability activist, took to Twitter Sunday to detail the drama at the Portsmouth Marriott Hotel in the UK after he spoke at an awards ceremony that gives recognition to animals and humans.

“Last night: two blind guys & our dogs at a bar, having a quiet drink,” Patel tweeted. “We then get accosted by aggressive women screaming that we’re cruel for having Guide Dogs.”

“Not only was she in our faces but at one point I thought she‘d get physical. Not a comfortable position to be in,” Patel tweeted along with photos of him and his friend Jonathan and their two service dogs.

Patel told Unilad that the unruly woman was shouting that Patel and his friend were “absolutely cruel” for having guide dogs and even suggested that the men were equivalent to people who organize dog fights.

“You could hear bar stools kind of moving as she started talking, people coming over to give us assistance,” Patel told the site, adding that when the incident happened he had just finished speaking at the Animal Star Awards about the issues those using service animals face daily.

Patel said his service dog, Kika, has been with him for five years and has allowed him to venture out without fear for his safety.

Kika, Patel said, is “part of the family.”

“These dogs don’t make it through their training if they don’t want to work,” Patel told Unilad. “A lot of dogs don’t make it through their training because they don’t want to work because they’re not interested or they’re too sniffy.”