Community raises nearly $60k for homeless man who saved animals from fire at Atlanta rescue facility

ATLANTA — The community has come together in a big way for a homeless man who rushed to help save animals from a fire at a metro Atlanta rescue shelter.

The fire broke out at the W-Underdogs shelter in southwest Atlanta on Dec. 18 while the facility’s owner, Gracie Hamlin, was out on errands.

Hamlin posted about the fire on Facebook, saying that the man had run into the burning shelter and managed to help rescue all 16 of the animals. The shelter was severely damaged, but none of the animals were hurt.

“Tonight we thank our guardian angels,” Hamlin wrote. “The homeless man that ran into our burning house and rescued our animals.”

The story quickly went viral and several people on social media called for a GoFundMe to be set up for the hero, who has since been identified as Keith Walker, 53.

“Praying for enough people to get together and help this homeless man with a home for him, a job and possibly a dog of his own,” one Facebook member wrote.

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Walker told CNN that he was walking to the shelter to pick up his dog Bravo and take him for a walk when he realized the shelter was on fire. Walker keeps Bravo at the shelter at night, he told CNN.

“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 GoFundMe set up on his behalf has raised nearly $60,000. Organizers said they are working to make sure that the money goes to protect Walker’s best interests.

The W-Underdogs shelter was planning a move before the fire, but quickly had to change plans and get into the new facility.

A separate GoFundMe has been set up to help the shelter as well.

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