Seuk Kim (49) died while transporting 3 dogs for Pilots and Paws, two of the three dogs survived the crash

[raisedbywolves]

https://abcnews.go.com/US/daughter-a...y?id=116274984

On Sunday, Seuk Kim was flying three dogs from Maryland to a shelter in upstate New York when he hit turbulence and poor visibility.

He requested to change altitude, but his plane crashed near Albany. Seuk Kim and one of the dogs he was transporting didn't survive the crash.

But 18-month-old Pluto was found nearby with minor injuries, as well as Whiskey, who dug a hole in the snow despite having two broken legs.

Pluto and Whiskey are only two of the hundreds of dogs Seuk Kim has rescued in recent years.

https://everloved.com/life-of/seuk-kim/donate/?flow=201

I organized a Pilots and Paws transport for my longest staying foster. The volunteers were amazing! Such a sad thing to happen.

[Angiebla]

This is heart breaking. He was a wonderful person doing wonderful things. The world will definately miss him.

Im really surprised the 2 dogs survived. Arent they usually kept in crates during the flight? How did they get out of them?

[raisedbywolves]

They aren't always in cages. My foster went in a cage for the first leg because they also picked up 4 kitties and I wasn't sure how she would react. She just rode in the back on the next two legs. The pilot on the 3rd leg sent me this and she said, "your foster girl was born to fly!" LOL. Usually if there are animals that might have a conflict or are super scared they put them in a cage, also babies usually go in cages.



The pilots that do these transports are SO awesome! People don't realize that transporting animals is such a huge hurdle to rescue and adoption, and paid transport is super expensive. I can't tell you how many miles I put on my vehicle in the couple of years I was so involved in rescue! I have organized a couple of Pilots and Paws flights for the rescue, and also round-robin vehicle transports, and they are both hard to organize because so few people are willing to help. If you can't foster a great way to help animals is to sign up for a transport group in your area and be willing to pick up a leg or two on a transport. It can save an animal's life!!!

This story makes me super sad! We need more people like this in the world, not less!

Here's a pic from his everloved page where he is transporting without a crate:

[jennafyre]

This is so sad. We need more people like him in this world. So glad two pups survived!!

[raisedbywolves]

https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonval...m-19948066.php

A preliminary investigation by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office suggested Kim died in the impact and not from freezing temperatures that night in the mountains.

The dogs that survived:
Whiskey

Whiskey, a 4-month-old Labrador mix, was found with two broken legs, but successfully made it through surgery, Pieper Veterinary of Middletown announced Wednesday.

“His brave little heart and incredible spirit have inspired everyone who has come into contact with him,” according a post on the veterinary’s Facebook page. “While it will take time for his legs to fully heal and his recovery will be a long road for this little pup, his surgery team is very optimistic. This little guy’s story has definitely captured all of our hearts — to go through such a traumatic event and still want to wag his tail and give kisses is a testament to little Whiskey’s amazing spirit.”

Pluto

The other surviving pup, Pluto, a 1½-year-old Yorkie/terrier mix, suffered pulmonary contusions and internal and external bruising, according to Pieper Veterinary. But by Thursday, he was “settled into his foster home and enjoying the love and kindness of a family this Thanksgiving,” according to Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley.

[Angiebla]

Im glad he died on impact and didnt freeze to death. If theres an afterlife, hes definately in a good place

Those dogs are tiny! I imagined bigger, heftier dogs surviving. How did those little ones survive the night?

[raisedbywolves]

I don't know if any of you heard of Connie the container dog that was found in the container this spring, but he flew her:

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/29/nx-s1...animal-rescuer

This summer, Mr. Kim flew a golden retriever who became known as Connie the container dog to safety. She had been heard scratching and barking, after over a week inside a shipping container at the Port of Houston. Connie eventually lost her life to a fungal infection, but she lived to give birth to eight puppies.

Mr. Kim was 49 years old, and originally from South Korea. He and his wife, Anna Kang, had three children, and lived in Springfield, Va. He worked in marketing and public relations, and loved flying. He began to volunteer to fly rescue dog missions about four years ago, piloting as many as three flights a week, so he could bring dogs for whom there was no room at a shelter, to places that would take them in.

He was at the controls of a small aircraft last Sunday night when it crashed in the snow of the Catskill Mountains. Several rescued dogs were onboard, who Mr. Kim was flying from Maryland to the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley in Howes Cave, N.Y.

Sydney Galley, who also works rescue flights, told The Associated Press that Seuk Kim, "… never needed recognition. He just wanted to help."

Anna Kang wrote on Facebook that in the crash of his plane, her husband gained his "angel wings." The animals Mr. Kim flew through the skies could not use words to ask for help. But he heard about them and brought them to warmth and safety.

Story about Connie the container dog:
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news...in-portsmouth/

[Nic B]

This is so sad, what a great guy. The smile on his face in those pictures, you can tell he loved dogs.

[Bewitchingstorm]

How devastating. It is good two of the babies survived.

[raisedbywolves]

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/ce...illed-in-crash

The ashes of a big-eyed, brown and white puppy named Lisa that died last week in a plane crash in New York's Catskill Mountains were being delivered Sunday to the family of the animal rescue pilot who lost his life trying to give the dog a chance at a new one.

Leah Kim, the 16-year-old daughter of volunteer pilot Seuk Kim, 49, said the family came up with the idea for the memorial flight as a way to complete her father's mission with the rescue group Pilots n Paws and to ensure Lisa finally had a home.

"We all sat down and talked about what we'd like to do with his remains. And then we were given the option to have Lisa's remains brought to us, we decided that we would all feel much better if she was with us," Kim said in a telephone interview from Springfield, Virginia.

"He obviously cared enough about her to risk his life on an expedition to save her. And we just want to make sure she's being taken care of," she said. "We feel a responsibility to continue what he started."

On Sunday, Chris Moon, a friend and fellow volunteer pilot with Pilots n Paws, flew to Albany to pick up Lisa's ashes and then fly them back to Virginia to Kim's family.

Leah Kim said they will likely bury Lisa's ashes in their backyard, along with the ashes of a beloved family miniature poodle.

"Just having Lisa nearby brings us all comfort," she said.

A funeral is planned on Thursday for her father.

[Bewitchingstorm]

What a lovely thing to do. Her father would have wanted Lisa's life to be celebrated like that.

[Boston Babe 73]

I read about this story and it brought me to tears. I'm sure that wherever he is, he's happy that at least two of the dogs made it and I think it's more than fitting that Lisa be given to his family. She did find her forever home and it is with him