It is ridiculous to suggest that DL are not "primarily" culpable in this situation. Airlines which introduce an "embargo" on carrying pets for some random reason, need to ensure that all affected passengers are informed (and all Travel Agents are informed). You cannot seriously expect that passengers should think "oh, let me check on the website in case DL has randomly introduced an embargo". How far does this go? Should passengers check in case DL has decided to embargo carrying surfboards?
There are reasons why some countries ban pets being transported in the cabin. They are usually rabies free and have quarantene requirements. It is almost impossible to maintain the integrity of the quarantene chain if the animal is transported in the cabin. It is reasonable to expect the carrier to know these regulations, especially where a passenger has called in advance and asked for advice on this issue. If the airline cannot give accurate advice, then the agents should be trained to say that the airline cannot give advice and that they should contact the Irish authorities. To give false or misleading advice makes the airline culpable.
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