According to Belgian newspaper De Standaard, a Belgian businessman has blamed his discriminatory hiring practices on his dog, claiming that his dog was racist and would bite non-whites.

The 53-year-old Nigerian man told De Standaard he arrived at the Belgian’s wrought-iron business and was immediately confronted by the barking dog.

The Belgian turned the man away before he could even enter, wrote on his labour office letter that he could not hire the man because of his colour, and noted the probability that the dog would bite the Nigerian.

The local labour office has concluded that the Belgian was racist and has removed him from its list of potential employers.

“My dog is racist. Not me,” the Belgian told De Standaard.

He told the newspaper that he did not wish to file a formal complaint because he did not wish for his family in Nigeria to hear about the case.

Commentary: Discrimination is rife in Belgium and continues to be so. The Nigerian applicant in this case, who has resided in Belgium for 32 years, noted that he had been rejected from jobs before due to his color – although other potential employers were “more subtle” about it.