South Korea’s Jeju Air crash: pet dog rescued after losing 9 family members in disaster

The animal rights group, Care, said on Wednesday that it had rescued Pudding, who had been wandering alone in a village in Yeonggwang county, South Jeolla province.

On its official social media account, Care said, “We determined that it was unsafe for Pudding to roam the village without a caretaker. After contacting the grieving family at the funeral, we decided to protect Pudding until a suitable guardian can be found.”

According to Care, Pudding had lived in the village with the eldest victim of the Jeju Air crash, a 79-year-old man identified as A, and his family.

A, who was nearing his 80s, had travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, with his family but tragically died in the accident. A’s wife, daughter and six-year-old granddaughter were among the nine family members who lost their lives, leaving Pudding without a caretaker.

After the tragedy, Pudding wandered between the family home and the village centre, watching cars and buses in what appeared to be a search for its family. Concerned villagers, moved by Pudding’s plight, began feeding the dog in the absence of its lost caretakers.