Homeless Man Saves Animals From Fire At Atlanta Shelter

ATLANTA, GA — A homeless man saved all the animals at Atlanta's W-Underdogs shelter after it caught fire last week, officials with the nonprofit said.

The W-Underdogs headquarters caught fire Dec. 18 while rescue workers were picking up supply donations, according to a Facebook post from the shelter. Keith Walker, a 53-year-old homeless man, rushed into the shelter to help get all the animals out safely.

"I was nervous as hell, 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," Walker told CNN. "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 those other dogs."

The Atlanta Fire Department said the cause was an electrical fire, and firefighters were unable to stop the fire before it destroyed the entire structure; however, shelter officials had already planned to move into a new facility before the fire. The day after the fire, Dec. 19, was the first day of the shelter's lease for the new headquarters.

"While the new facility is not exactly 'move-in ready' we were able to move the animals safely into the new facility for the night. They are all happy, warm, safe and comfortable in their new temporary home," W-Underdogs Founder Gracie Hamlin said in a Facebook post Dec. 19.

Hamlin knew Walker, who has been homeless since he was 13 years old, because she lets him keep his dog, a pitbull named Bravo, at the shelter every night, according to CNN.

Walker was on his way to pick up Bravo and take him for a walk when he saw the fire. He was able to rescue all the animals — six dogs and 10 cats.

"I can't thank him enough for saving my animals," Hamlin told CNN. "I'm still in disbelief, because I've been around a fire and I know how fast they flare up. He is my hero."

Hamlin created a GoFundMe for those who want to donate to the shelter, which is run entirely on volunteers and donations. Donations can also be made directly to the shelter here. W-Underdogs also has an Amazon wish list of items needed for the shelter.

Donations specifically for Walker can be made at Frank and Lane Cote's GoFundMe link. As of 3:31 p.m. Dec. 29, almost $50,000 have been donated to Walker.