Pilot Who Flew ‘Hundreds’ Of Shelter Animals To Safe Homes Dies In Plane Crash

The animal rescue community is mourning the loss of “a true hero.”
Virginia pilot Seuk Kim, 49, died Sunday while flying a small aircraft transporting three dogs from “high euthanasia shelters” around Maryland to a facility in upstate New York so the animals could find foster homes, local news station Fox 5 DC reports.
“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, the executive director of the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley — where Kim had set out to deliver the dogs — told Albany news station WRGB.
Authorities told Fox 5 DC that visibility was poor Sunday and that Kim experienced turbulence during his flight — which prompted him to request a change in altitude shortly before his plane crashed into a wooded area about 35 minutes from his destination.
The married father of three died in the crash, along with one of the dogs, a puppy named Lisa.
The two other dogs — a Lab-mix puppy named Whiskey, and a year-old Yorkie/terrier mix named Pluto — both survived the crash. Whiskey broke two legs and is scheduled to undergo surgeries at a veterinary clinic in Connecticut this week, ASSV said in a statement posted to Facebook Tuesday. Pluto, who experienced pulmonary contusions and both internal and external bruising, was evaluated and released to ASSV.
“Anyone who knew Seuk knows that saving animals was his true passion and that he was a true hero within the animal rescue community,” ASSV said in its statement on Facebook.
Kim’s family said in a statement to The Associated Press that he was originally from South Korea and “came to this country with little but a dream, and through hard work and perseverance, he built a life of meaning and generosity.”
Four years ago, Kim earned his pilot’s license and began taking animals in danger of being euthanized on “freedom flights” to safer facilities, Fox 5 DC reports.
Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.
Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can’t do it without you.
Can’t afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can’t do it without you.
Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.
You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can’t do it without you.
Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
He also used his plane to transport supplies to hurricane-ravaged areas in North Carolina, according to his Facebook page.
“Seuk was a bright light in all our lives—witty, spontaneous, and full of boundless generosity,” Kim’s obituary reads. “His laughter could fill a room, and his zest for life inspired everyone fortunate enough to know him. Whether through his bold sense of adventure or his quiet acts of kindness, he left a lasting impression on everyone he met.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.