Polaris, a six-month-old dog, was abandoned at the airport in San Francisco (USA) in September. He was finally adopted, before Christmas, by an airline pilot. Here is his story.
San Francisco is a perfect city to welcome our faithful four-legged friends. According to the American magazine Forbes, it is considered the “best city for dogs” in the United States in 2022. Polaris, a six-month-old dog who was abandoned by his owner at San Francisco International Airport in September, could not hope for a better adoptive environment. The animal, which we only know belonged to a traveler from abroad who decided to continue his journey alone, was taken care of by United Airlines, with which he had apparently traveled, reports the American television channel CNN. And he was finally adopted before Christmas.
Quarantine at the airport
Good story: This is Polaris the dog. He was abandoned by a passenger at @flySFO this fall.
Thanks to @sfspcahe is on his way to a new home with a @united airline employee. pic.twitter.com/Cj0SF79kYs— Scott Budman (@scottbudman) 14 December 2022
The airline’s customer service team bent over backwards to find a home for the dog. To be safe, Polaris first had to comply with a quarantine period at the airport to ensure he was in good health.
It should be noted that bringing a pet into the United States is a regulated process. As a rule, pets arriving from abroad must be identified by means of an electronic chip, and the master must have a health certificate dated 10 days before departure, issued directly by a veterinarian.
The dog was also abandoned because his master did not have the necessary papers to allow the animal to enter US territory, the British daily reports Daily Mail.
“A loving home”
Polaris the dog was abandoned at San Francisco International Airport earlier this fall. Thanks to a United Airlines employee, the pup now has a new place to call home. https://t.co/oia0FS2iSg pic.twitter.com/d2U15yxFk4
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) 16 December 2022
With the help of an animal welfare association, the SPCA, United Airlines ended up finding a new family for the animal, just before the Christmas holidays. Three months after being abandoned at the airport. The dog was adopted by an airline pilot and his family.
“Our entire team looked after Polaris 24/7 until we were able to get permission to keep it safe in the US”said Vincent Passafiume, director of customer service at United, quoted in a press release from the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), pleased to know that this dog was welcome in “a loving home”.
To end this rescue, a party was even organized on December 15 at the San Francisco airport. The airline also donated $5,000, or €4,700, to the San Francisco SPCA.