- All right everybody.
We are back with Young Dylan Gilmer
and Stephen A. Smith. (audience cheering)
As the director of airport operations
and customer service for United Airlines
in San Francisco, our next guest is used
to helping travelers when they lose their luggage
or miss a connecting flight.
So he's seeing everybody
in their best version of themselves.
But he was at a bit of a loss last year
when one particular passenger got
to the San Francisco airport
and couldn't clear customs yet,
also couldn't go back home.
Here's the passenger.
- [Audience] Aww. - [Kelly] I know!
That adorable puppy, now named Polaris
was stuck in limbo for months,
but now he's living it up in his forever home,
thanks to Vincent who's joining us now.
Give it up for Vincent, y'all.
(audience cheering)
So welcome to the show.
Meet young Dylan.
Meet Stephen.
- Nice to meet you. - How you doing?
- Nice to meet you.
- So tell us how Polaris got stuck here
in the States.
It's a weird story. - It is.
Polaris landed in San Francisco
after a 12 hour flight from Asia.
And when he got to San Francisco,
unfortunately he was inadmissible to the country.
So what we had to do was really figure
out a solution here because in addition
to not being able to go into the country,
the passenger who brought him was destined
to New York and left him in San Francisco
with us holding the leash.
- So that's never happened obviously before, right?
- This is a first for me.
The issue was we were initially told
by the authorities in San Francisco
that we had to send the dog back to Asia.
And when we were talking to our colleagues
in Asia they told us that if the dog gets sent
back they're going to euthanize the dog.
So when we told the authorities in San Francisco,
they also told us, "Well, unfortunately you're going
to have to put the dog down here
in San Francisco."
And that's when the passion of our team-
- Like, this is not the the dog's fault.
- Yeah.
So that's when the passion of our team really
lit up and we started to work all avenues possible
to find the outcome that we did.
- That stepping above and beyond
for what you need to do is so admirable.
Like, thank you for just being a stellar human.
So Stephen has there been a time
where you felt you really needed
to step up and help someone or something
or someone did that for you?
- Well there's always been people
that's helped me.
One time I was lost,
I was younger obviously,
and I was in North Carolina in the woods
of North Carolina.
I was lost and Lord knows what else in.
And there was a couple that came up to me
and literally said, "Follow me."
And it was like literally a five mile drive
somewhere between Clemson, South Carolina
going into North Carolina
and they guided me through it.
Now in certain parts of North Carolina
and stuff like that, you get very,
very nervous. - Yeah.
- And they literally drove me five miles
and got me out of there
onto the main highway there
- That's a nice couple.
- Very nice.
I stick to main roads.
I mean, ever since it's the highway or no way.
(Kelly laughs) That's how I do it.
- All right.
Well we can't talk about this story
without meeting Polaris and his new human.
So let's bring them out.
Say hi to Captain Bill Dale
and Polaris, everybody. (audience cheering)
- Oh my gosh!
You are so cute.
Come on over.
(audience clapping)
Beautiful.
Look at the coat.
Oh my God, I wanna snuggle.
Look at the little hat.
It is so lovely to meet you as well.
(both laugh)
Oh my gosh.
So Bill, what was it like when you found
out Polaris was joining your family?
You are gorgeous.
- [Bill] I was shocked. (Polaris barking)
- [Kelly] Yeah, get, yeah.
Exactly, exactly.
- I was shocked because Vincent sent
out an email to everyone in San Francisco
and it had this picture of him.
- He does not wanna be on camera.
- [Bill] Yeah.
- He sees the dog.
- Oh, oh my God.
This is what happens with my dogs
when we watch like dogs on TV,
my dog Charlie loses her mind.
Well, what's home life like for him?
Obviously, while not
on camera. - Home life is great.
He's a bit goofy and a little clumsy
but he's really adjusted quite well.
He loves to chew on my slippers and falls
and destroy a little lamb that we have
that has a squeaker in it.
He likes my wife's beanie
that has a pompom on it.
(Kelly laughs) So...
- United has done so much for Polaris,
Captain Bill and his family,
but they also wanna do something special
for someone in the audience.
And that special something is two Polaris business class
or first class tickets to anywhere
in the world they fly.
In fact, the tickets are already taped
under someone's chair right now,
so take a look.
(drum rolls)
Oh my God,
I just wanna cuddle with you.
Hi.
(audience cheering)
Hi.
Stand up.
What's your name? - Jessica.
- Jessica, nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- Where do you think you're gonna go?
Do you know? - I don't know,
but my husband is gonna be
really happy about this. (laughs)
- Oh my gosh.
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
We love this story.
We love what you did.
That's just to go above and beyond
what you needed to do.
It's really cool.
And thank you for the forever home.