Society had all but given up on Keith Walker. But when he saw that an animal shelter was on fire, he put his life at risk.

Some people consider the homeless to be shameful individuals. They’re so quick to forget that the homeless are humans like the rest of us.

They’re in a bad place. And often, they don’t get the support they need to get back on their feet.

In late 2020, Keith Walker was homeless and on the streets of Atlanta.

He was in his early 50s and had been homeless since he was a teenager.

The one thing that Walker could rely on was Bravo, his beloved pitbull.

“My dog is my best friend, and I wouldn’t be here without him.” – Keith Walker.

At times, Walker needs to leave Bravo somewhere safe. Luckily, the owner of W-Underdogs animal shelter lets Walker keep Bravo on their premises.

On the evening of December 18th, 2020, Walker was going to the shelter to pick up Bravo when he saw something shocking.

Smoke was pouring out of the windows of the shelter. The building had gone up in flames.

Walker’s first thought was for the animals inside, including Bravo. He rushed into the burning building, determined to fight off the smoke and get to the cats and dogs.

“I’m not going to lie. I was really scared to go in there with all that smoke. But God put me there to save those animals.” – Keith Walker.

Soon, he had fought his way past the flames. He reached the crates that stored the animals. Luckily, all of the animals that were in the shelter were still alive.

Walker opened every single crate and cage. Then he led the animals outside to safety.

Luckily, someone had called 911, and a fire truck arrived. Eventually, they put out the blaze.

If it hadn’t been for Walker many of the animals would have succumbed to smoke inhalation. Instead, they are all alive and well today.

In all, Walker got six dogs and 10 cats out of the building.

Soon, the shelter volunteers were able to get the dogs and cats to a new facility.

W-Underdogs had been in the process of renovating this new facility. It wasn’t quite ready, but it was able to keep the animals safe.

Gracie Hamlin, the owner of W-Underdogs, was quick to thank Walker publicly. She even called him her hero.

In the days immediately following the fire and the brave rescue, GoFundMes were established for both W-Underdogs and Keith Walker.

Keith Walker’s GoFundMe page had an initial funding goal of $5,000. But in just a couple of weeks, people had donated over $83,000.

The W-Underdogs fundraiser has a goal of $20,000. So far, it has raised over $13,500.

Keith Walker truly deserves the money that is being donated.

He has spent so much of his life on the streets. Hopefully, Walker will be able to use the money to get a home and get his life on track.

Next time you see a homeless person, don’t judge them. They could be like Walker, who was forced into homelessness when he was still a child and who risked his life for animals in danger.

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Source: Facebook, Patch, CNN,