Jockey Club staff under fire for 'trying to refuse entry to blind man with guide dog'

Hong Kong Jockey Club staff have come under fire for allegedly trying to stop a blind man and his guide dog entering one of their shops, telling him pets were not allowed on the premises.

David Wong Man-chiu, 65, and his dog, Google, were apparently surrounded by three members of staff when he visited the North Point betting branch to buy a Mark Six lottery ticket on Friday. The staff - two security guards and a cleaner - blocked his path and demanded he leave, said Wong's daughter, Vicky Wong Wing-ki, who was there.

Wong, who has been blind for 30 years, stood his ground while staff ushered out his daughter and pointed at a sign saying pets were not allowed.

"My dad knows his rights and refused to leave," said Vicky Wong. "We tried to explain that Google was not a pet and that he was a working dog, but they said there was no difference.

"They said if they let us in they would get in trouble."

Angie Scott, a friend who was also with Wong, said she was totally taken aback by the hostile reception they received.

"I go in there a lot and normally they are very friendly. It was like we had walked in with a bomb," Scott said.