One very good boy finally has a very loving home.
A puppy abandoned at the San Francisco International airport was adopted by an air pilot just in time for the holidays.
The young dog, named Polaris, arrived at the US airport on an international flight, but its owner decided to keep traveling without him following paperwork difficulties for the animal, according to the San Francisco SPCA and news reports.
The animal welfare organization and United Airlines then worked together to find a forever home for Polaris, and Captain William Dale, a United pilot, and his family adopted the pooch.
“I only hope that we can do half as good a job of taking care of him as the United staff did,” the Washington Post quoted Dale as saying. “More than one employee said to me, ‘You better take good care of him … or else.’ There was even a wag of a finger.”
According to the San Francisco SPCA, the airline worked to make sure that Polaris met requirements for entry into the US, such as a quarantine period. “From the moment Polaris landed in our care, our entire SFO United team cared for him 24/7 until we were able to get permission to keep him safely in the US,” Vincent Passafiume, United’s director of customer service, said in a statement.
“It’s a great feeling to see this story come full circle and that Polaris will have a loving home with United Airlines Captain Dale and his family – just in time for the holidays.”
The airline feted Polaris’s adoption at the airport on 15 December, and gave a $5,000 donation to the San Francisco SPCA “to support their year-round lifesaving work helping animals who are ill, injured, homeless, or in need of an advocate”, according to a press release from the organization.
Lisa Feder, the San Francisco SPCA’s chief of rescue and welfare, commented: “United’s customer service team took on quite a challenge to ensure Polaris would be safe, healthy and find a loving home.”
Source: The Guardian
