Aman was unable to go on a planned holiday when his 5-month-old puppy got hold of his passport.
Jacob, who lives in Washington state, shared the nightmare moment on Reddit’s r/mildlyinfuriating forum, where it has received more than 44,000 upvotes and thousands of comments.
“I had pre-packed all my clothes and put the passport on top of my bag to make sure I didn’t forget it,” Jacob told Newsweek. “He grabbed it when I wasn’t looking. I continued packing for another 20 minutes and came out to find him eating it.
US government rules state that a damaged passport is invalid and cannot be used for international travel. Official guidelines state that a passport is considered damaged if “the passport has been materially altered in appearance or composition; contains a damaged, defective, or otherwise nonfunctional chip; contains unauthorised alterations, erasures, entries, or photographs; or has observable wear and tear that renders it unfit for use as a travel document”.
Without his passport, Jacob’s travel plans were soon in limbo.
“I was supposed to get on a plane to Paris eight hours later and then spend two weeks travelling around Europe,” he said. But without his travel documents, he was unable to make the flight and was forced to skip the trip instead.
“Unfortunately, I could not get a refund because I did not have travel insurance. The accommodation was also not refundable as it was within 48 hours of checking in,” he said. “I won’t be able to go, that window was a good opportunity to take time off work.”
Losing his holiday and a few thousand dollars, Jacob shared his pain on Reddit, where thousands of people rushed to sympathise with him.
He is far from the first person to be stranded by a mischievous pup – last year newlyweds Nick and Caroline almost missed their honeymoon after their 11-month-old miniature dachshund Tater Tot got hold of one of their passports.
“Your mistake is a life lesson for others, thank you for your sacrifice,” said one Redditor. “Note to self, if you get a puppy and go on holiday, keep important documents safe and out of reach of the puppy.”
Another commenter said: “This is not mildly annoying, it’s like I’m having a nervous breakdown.””The puppy knew you were going to leave,” said another. While one joked: “I should have got a kitten.”
It’s not just important documents that canine companions have caused trouble with, either. Earlier this month, another pet owner shared how her dog destroyed her $600 sleeping bag.
Fortunately, the dog owner found some positives in the responses from other Reddit users. “I was happy to post it on Reddit,” Jacob said. “Reading through the comments was kind of therapeutic.”