A homeless man is being hailed as a hero after risking his life to rescue several dogs and cats from a fire in an animal shelter.
Keith Walker ran into the W-Underdogs shelter after a fire broke out on December 18, the facility said in a Facebook post.
“Tonight we thank our guardian angels. The homeless man who ran into our burning house and rescued our animals,” he said. “Our animals are safe and, thanks to the incredible response from the community, everyone is accommodated and protected, heated and protected.”
The facility said its owner was collecting donations for supplies when he received a call saying the shelter was on fire. Atlanta Fire Department officials said a homeless man ran to the scene “and helped bring the animals to safety,” wrote W-Underdogs.
“And as soon as it became clear that the house was uninhabitable, volunteers mobilized to relocate the animals safely to the new facilities. In the midst of our misfortune, we rested tonight with nothing but gratitude for the community that continually supports us,” he said.
The facility said it usually provides food and shelter for Walker’s dog, Bravo. It is organizing efforts to help Walker.
A GoFundMe that was created raised more than $ 36,000 on Tuesday morning.
“We received a barrage of requests about how people can help Mr. Keith Walker, the hero who saved our animals from the fire. Rest assured that we have Mr. Walker’s best interests in mind and are exploring how best to manage donations that come in your name, “said the facility in a Facebook post on Monday.
Walker told CNN that he was “nervous” to run into the burning building, but he knew he had to save the trapped animals.
“I was very afraid to go in there with all that smoke. But God put me there to save those animals, ”he said. “If you love a dog, you can love anyone in the world. My dog is my best friend and I wouldn’t be here without him, so I knew I had to save all the other dogs.”
Authorities considered the fire to be an electrical fire, W-Underdogs said in a statement. The shelter was uninhabitable, but all the animals were taken to a new facility.
