2 dogs get new homes after surviving plane crash that killed rescue flight pilot

Two dogs that survived an animal-rescue flight crash that killed the pilot have found new homes as the late aviator’s friends work to honor him by helping more pets, a shelter director said Wednesday.

The Nov. 24 crash in New York’s Catskill Mountains killed Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, a dedicated volunteer who transported cats and dogs from disaster areas and overcrowded shelters to rescue groups. He was bringing three dogs to an Albany, New York-area organization called the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley when his 1986 Mooney M20J went down.

Kim told air traffic controllers that he hit moderate to heavy turbulence at 5,000 feet (1,520 meters), but then he descended to about 4,300 feet (1,311 meters) and reported that conditions improved to light to moderate turbulence, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the crash. The report said he didn’t contact air traffic control again or make any distress calls.

Two of the dogs, a Labrador-mix puppy named Whiskey and a young Yorkshire terrier mix called Pluto, survived. Pluto was internally bruised, while Whiskey was found huddled in the snow with two broken legs. The Lab pup subsequently underwent surgeries at Pieper Memorial Veterinary emergency and specialty hospital in Middletown, Connecticut.

After those procedures and lots of physical therapy, 6-month-old Whiskey is on his feet and playing at his foster home in Middletown, and the family that took him in has decided to keep him, said Maggie Jackman Pryor, the executive director of the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley.

The foster family is set to adopt Whiskey formally this weekend.

Pluto, meanwhile, recovered quickly and was adopted a few weeks into a home in Averill Park, a community near Albany, Pryor said.

The remains of the third dog, a little one named Lisa, went to Kim’s relatives at their request.

The Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley fielded inquiries from people around the country interested in adopting the canine survivors, said Pryor, who urged some callers to look closer to home.

“These two dogs are amazing, but there are so many amazing dogs” in shelters, she said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Kim’s friends and fellow rescue pilots are forming an organization to further his legacy, Pryor said. She said plans include sponsoring mobile spay and neuter clinics and creating pet food pantries like one that he and his children started.