At the end of August, a traveler in transit from China and on his way to New York had to leave his pet at customs. in the question? Doubts about the validity of the latter’s administrative documents.
It’s a story that ends well. It begins at the end of August at San Francisco International Airport. A passenger coming from China and making a United Airlines stopover on the West Coast before reaching New York left his six-month-old German Shepherd at customs. The reason ? Refusal by health authorities to return the dog to US soil due to lack of clarity in certain administrative documents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which controls access to animals from countries considered at high risk for rabies,had concerns about the validity of the documents, says Vincent Passafiume, director of customer service for the airline. Instead of solving the problem in San Francisco, the owner abandons his dog and continues the journey to New York.
The health authorities are faced with a dilemma: send the dog back to its country of origin or keep it there? It was then that the airline’s highest authorities decided on a four-month quarantine. The staff names the dog Polaris after United Airlines business class. Before you build a small niche in one of the airport offices. At the end of this period, United sets out to find him a permanent home by establishing a ground rule: only company personnel can apply. Among 35 candidates, William Dale, a United Airlines pilot for seven years and who has a house with a garden in San Francisco, is chosen. ‘I just hope we can look after him as well as the staff at United did’, he said. An adoption party was therefore organized in terminal 3 at the airport on 15 December.
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