A Virginia pilot devoted to rescuing shelter dogs was killed when a small plane crashed in the Catskills on Sunday as he was flying several dogs up for adoption to an upstate animal shelter.
Father of three Seuk Kim, 49, was killed Sunday alongside one of three dogs he was flying from Maryland to Albany to be adopted as part of his work with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals from overcrowded shelters to places they are more likely to find a home.
A labrador-mix puppy named Whiskey, who suffered broken bones, and an 18-month-old yorkie terrier mix named Pluto both survived the crash, according to the nonprofit Kim was delivering the dogs to, the Animal Shelter of Schoharie County.
Visibility had been poor on Sunday and Kim had asked for permission to change his altitude due to turbulance just before his plane crashed in the woods, only about 35 miles from his destination, Fox 5 DC reported.
The married father of three from Springfield, Virginia, was remembered as a “bright light” in the lives of his loved ones, according to his obituary.
“Over the years, Seuk helped to save the lives of hundreds of animals who would have otherwise been euthanized due to overcrowding at animal shelters,” Maggie Pryor, director of the Animal Shelter of Schoharie County, said in a statement.
His 16-year-old daughter, Leah Kim, said her father spent his final years devoted to rescuing animals.
“He died doing what he loved, which was saving animals,” she told Fox.
Cathay West, who operates the Kuddles & Kisses K9 Rescue in Baltimore, said she last saw Kim in October when he flew a dog just days away from being euthanized from Tennessee to Maryland.
“He was bringing me a momma dog and five puppies,” West said. “He was so involved in trying to get the word out to volunteer, to other pilots. That this is a good thing to save these dogs so that they don’t die in shelters.”
Kim also used his plane to transport supplies to hurricane-ravaged portions of North Carolina, according to his Facebook page.
A statement from Kim’s family said he was originally from South Korea but “came to this country with little but a dream, and through hard work and perseverance, he built a life of meaning and generosity.”
“He was a kind, selfless individual who always went out of his way to help others, no matter the circumstances,” the statement said. “His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched, both human and animal.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
With Post wires