Very cute dog rescue story at SFO today
Dec 15, 2022, 11:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Woodside, CA, USA
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Posts: 517
Very cute dog rescue story at SFO today
Went thru security for T3 at SFO today and saw an event (signage, wreaths, camera crew, lots of United employees) at gate E1 opposite TSA.
turns out it was for a dog adoption.
apparently someone flew in from China a couple
months ago with a puppy, only to realize that they didn’t have the necessary paperwork. They abandoned the dog at the airport.
because the dog was a young puppy with no papers, it couldn’t enter the US and was going to be put down.
United employees got together to care for the dog in the secure side of the airport during their shifts, handing off the dog as necessary. While at the same time advocating for the dog, getting paperwork done, etc.
and today the dog got approved to enter the US and is going home with one of the employees, who adopted it permanently.
awesome story. Kudos to everyone in involved.
turns out it was for a dog adoption.
apparently someone flew in from China a couple
months ago with a puppy, only to realize that they didn’t have the necessary paperwork. They abandoned the dog at the airport.
because the dog was a young puppy with no papers, it couldn’t enter the US and was going to be put down.
United employees got together to care for the dog in the secure side of the airport during their shifts, handing off the dog as necessary. While at the same time advocating for the dog, getting paperwork done, etc.
and today the dog got approved to enter the US and is going home with one of the employees, who adopted it permanently.
awesome story. Kudos to everyone in involved.
Dec 15, 2022, 11:25 am
#2
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Went thru security for T3 at SFO today and saw an event (signage, wreaths, camera crew, lots of United employees) at gate E1 opposite TSA.
turns out it was for a dog adoption.
apparently someone flew in from China a couple
months ago with a puppy, only to realize that they didn’t have the necessary paperwork. They abandoned the dog at the airport.
because the dog was a young puppy with no papers, it couldn’t enter the US and was going to be put down.
United employees got together to care for the dog in the secure side of the airport during their shifts, handing off the dog as necessary. While at the same time advocating for the dog, getting paperwork done, etc.
and today the dog got approved to enter the US and is going home with one of the employees, who adopted it permanently.
awesome story. Kudos to everyone in involved.
turns out it was for a dog adoption.
apparently someone flew in from China a couple
months ago with a puppy, only to realize that they didn’t have the necessary paperwork. They abandoned the dog at the airport.
because the dog was a young puppy with no papers, it couldn’t enter the US and was going to be put down.
United employees got together to care for the dog in the secure side of the airport during their shifts, handing off the dog as necessary. While at the same time advocating for the dog, getting paperwork done, etc.
and today the dog got approved to enter the US and is going home with one of the employees, who adopted it permanently.
awesome story. Kudos to everyone in involved.
Dec 15, 2022, 11:39 am
#3
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Location: Woodside, CA, USA
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Dec 15, 2022, 11:43 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2012
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Thank you! I walked by there in the last 90 min going from intl to E and saw all the hoopla!
I figured it was a new route - didn’t stop to find out as I was in a hurry.
I figured it was a new route - didn’t stop to find out as I was in a hurry.
Dec 15, 2022, 11:46 am
#5
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Dec 15, 2022, 2:03 pm
#6
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Dec 15, 2022, 10:04 pm
#8
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Posts: 1,537
If the dog was brought to the US a few months ago, this may have been during the extra harsh Shanghai lockdown when pets were being put down, so the people may have just been trying to get out as soon as possible.
Dec 16, 2022, 10:12 am
#10
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Was the not having the right papers intentional or accidental or due to a misunderstanding?
Did they just walk away and leave it on the floor to fend for itself?
Or did they hand it over to a UA employee that said they would try and see if somehow someone could take care of it since the travelers had no other option at that point?
Or as a previous poster pointed out, was it possibly a last-ditch effort to get it out of China and away from certain death?
If you simply replaced the word "abandoned" with "relinquished" it would put the story in a somewhat different light.
Just saying it's hard to make the judgement without additional facts (am a dog owner myself).
Dec 16, 2022, 12:00 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 1,754
https://imgur.com/gallery/RtGVjlT
Polaris the doggo
https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/com..._puppy_at_sfo/
Polaris the doggo
Story from the United website -
Back in September, we introduced you to Polaris, a dog traveling through SFO abandoned by its owner after failing to meet documentation requirements. Knowing the dog faced euthanasia if sent back to China, Team SFO stepped in to save and care for the puppy.
After a three-month mandatory quarantine period through the San Francisco SPCA, Polaris went home to his forever family — but not before an amazing goodbye paw-ty thrown by SFO employees!
There were nearly 30 applications from United employees to adopt Polaris, but the lucky winner was SFO Airbus 320 Captain William Dale and his family.
“After an outpouring of applications to adopt our puppy Polaris, carefully reviewed by the San Francisco SPCA, I am very happy to announce that we have selected his furever family in the home of William Dale, an SFO-based A-320 Captain,” said Airport Operations Customer Service Director Vincent Passafiume. “Please join me in congratulating him, along with his wife Luz, daughter Alessandra, and son William Gavin.”
The family was all smiles at the airport as they met Polaris, who was dressed for the occasion in a Santa jacket.
“My family and I would like to thank United customer service representatives, SF SPCA and everyone that helped save Polaris,” said William. “It’s an incredible story of our United family coming together for a good cause. We feel very fortunate and lucky to have Polaris join our family.”
It’s important to note that there are plenty of other animals in the care of the SF SPCA—and in shelters around the country — who are up for adoption and deserve loving homes. As part of the celebration, United also donated $5,000 to the SF SPCA.
Back in September, we introduced you to Polaris, a dog traveling through SFO abandoned by its owner after failing to meet documentation requirements. Knowing the dog faced euthanasia if sent back to China, Team SFO stepped in to save and care for the puppy.
After a three-month mandatory quarantine period through the San Francisco SPCA, Polaris went home to his forever family — but not before an amazing goodbye paw-ty thrown by SFO employees!
There were nearly 30 applications from United employees to adopt Polaris, but the lucky winner was SFO Airbus 320 Captain William Dale and his family.
“After an outpouring of applications to adopt our puppy Polaris, carefully reviewed by the San Francisco SPCA, I am very happy to announce that we have selected his furever family in the home of William Dale, an SFO-based A-320 Captain,” said Airport Operations Customer Service Director Vincent Passafiume. “Please join me in congratulating him, along with his wife Luz, daughter Alessandra, and son William Gavin.”
The family was all smiles at the airport as they met Polaris, who was dressed for the occasion in a Santa jacket.
“My family and I would like to thank United customer service representatives, SF SPCA and everyone that helped save Polaris,” said William. “It’s an incredible story of our United family coming together for a good cause. We feel very fortunate and lucky to have Polaris join our family.”
It’s important to note that there are plenty of other animals in the care of the SF SPCA—and in shelters around the country — who are up for adoption and deserve loving homes. As part of the celebration, United also donated $5,000 to the SF SPCA.
Last edited by returnoftheyeti; Dec 16, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Dec 16, 2022, 9:15 pm
#12
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Polaris is probably a very well-socialized to humans do by this time. On reddit someone said they know the family and the dog will be in great hands. Good leads the way here!
Dec 17, 2022, 8:00 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 572
NBCBayArea News story (Not sure why they changed "China" with "Asia" 
):
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...d-sfo/3107240/
):https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...d-sfo/3107240/
Dec 17, 2022, 8:36 pm
#14
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Although....OP made it sound more like a The Terminal (2004, with Tom Hanks starring) kind of a scenario.
Now here it reads more like they just got the dog in to the required quarantine, by presumably working through some red tape/ paperwork.
OPs way of telling the story definitely had more 'bite' and excitement to it! 😎
Dec 17, 2022, 9:53 pm
#15
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Woodside, CA, USA
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Although mine was based on my daughter asking one of the employees at the gate questions and then relaying that to me, so I’m not shocked some of the details got mangled. Glad to see the doggo has a happy ending.