Opinion: The life and work of Seuk Kim, pilot and animal rescuer.

Seok Kim saved lives.

Mr. Kim was 49 years old and originally from South Korea. He and his wife Anna Kang had three children and lived in Springfield, Virginia. He worked in marketing and public relations and loved to fly. About four years ago, he began volunteering with dog rescue missions, flying three times a week to bring dogs for which there was no shelter space to places where they could be adopted.

Last Sunday evening, he was at the controls of a small plane when it crashed in the snowy Catskill Mountains. On board were several rescue dogs that Mr. Kim was taking from Maryland to the Schoharie Valley Animal Shelter in Hawes Cave, New York.

“Over the years, Syk has helped save the lives of hundreds of animals that otherwise would have had to be euthanized due to overcrowding at animal shelters,” Maggie Pryor, the shelter’s director, told us.

I think Mr. Kim might be happy if we knew that Whiskey, a 4-month-old Labrador puppy, survived the crash. He has two broken legs, but is recovering. And Pluto, an 18-month-old terrier mix, also survived and may have already been adopted. Unfortunately, the little puppy named Lisa did not survive.

I once wrote a story about animal rescue flights. They can be moving and inspiring, but they can also be messy and loud. Dogs and cats don’t know they are being rescued. The noise and rumble of an airplane can upset them. There’s a lot of laughing and a lot of howling, and the pilots on these flights are especially dedicated.

This summer, Mr. Kim sent a golden retriever known as Connie, a container dog, to safety. She could be heard scratching and barking after being stuck in a shipping container at the Port of Houston for more than a week. Connie eventually died from a fungal infection, but survived and gave birth to eight puppies.

And just last month, Mr. Kim brought a dog and her five puppies, scheduled to be euthanized at an overcrowded shelter in Tennessee, to a rescue center in Maryland.

Sidney Gulley, who is also involved in rescue operations, told The Associated Press that Seuk Kim “… never needed recognition. He just wanted to help.”

Anna Kang wrote on Facebook that her husband gained “angel wings” as a result of the plane crash. The animals that Mr. Kim flew through the sky could not use words to ask for help. But he heard about them and brought them to warmth and safety.