A Neglectful Owner Abandons Dog... Airline Staff Care for New Bird's Nest

Last August at San Francisco Airport
Chinese Traveler Left Abandoned
Care Provided for 4 Months Amid Euthanasia Risk

A puppy abandoned at a U.S. airport just two months after birth has found a new home. It had spent four months living at the airport under the care of airline staff.

According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 23rd (local time), Polaris, a German Shepherd mix, has been staying at San Francisco International Airport since last August.

(The photo above is not directly related to the article content.) Source=Asia Economy DB

At that time, a traveler who boarded a United Airlines flight from China with Polaris arrived at the airport but left alone for New York. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies about 50 countries, including China, as high-risk for rabies. Puppies from these countries are mostly banned from entry except in very exceptional cases. The traveler, lacking the CDC-compliant documents, reportedly acted this way because bringing the puppy into the country became difficult.

Polaris was taken into the care of United Airlines' customer service center. The CDC initially suggested either sending the puppy back to China or handing it over to San Francisco International Airport authorities, but the airline refused. All options ultimately led to euthanasia. Vincent Passafiume, United Airlines' customer service manager, said, "The options initially presented were truly bleak."

Unable to choose either option, the airline staff took a third path. First, they named the puppy "Polaris," after the airline's business class designation, and cared for it around the clock. They also actively engaged the headquarters' public affairs team to help save the puppy.

As a result, after four months of quarantine, a decision was finally made allowing Polaris to enter the country. When Polaris was moved to a quarantine facility in Los Angeles, staff placed it in first class on the plane, and after the quarantine ended, they publicly sought a new owner through a well-known animal welfare organization in San Francisco.

The family adopting Polaris was confirmed last week. The new owners are the family of William Dale, a United Airlines pilot residing in San Francisco. Dale told WP, "I hope to care for him even half as well as the other staff did."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.