Keith Walker, a 53-year-old homeless, is hailed as a hero after his quick thinking saved the lives of ten cats and six dogs in need. The brave man spotted flames coming out of W-Underdogs – an animal shelter in Atlanta, Georgia – and he did not hesitate to put his life on the line to save the helpless creatures. Thanks to his heroic gesture all the animals trapped inside the burning shelter have been rescued and survived.
“I was nervous, I’m not going to lie,” Keith shared with CNN. “I was really scared to go in there with all that smoke. But God put me there to save those animals.”
Keith, who’s been living on the streets since he was 13 also has a furry companion – a pit bull named Bravo. When the blaze started, he was heading to the shelter to pick up his dog. The shelter owner, Gracie Hamlin knows Keith as she allows him to leave Bravo there, every night.
“If you love a dog, you can love anyone in the world,” the brave man said. “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.”
Gracie was more than happy to know that all the animals at the shelter were safe, thanks to Keith’s courage. “He is my guardian angel,” she told CNN. “He was pulling out the cats and dogs until they were all safe. I can’t thank him enough for saving my animals. I’m still in disbelief, because I’ve been around a fire and I know how fast they flare up. He is my hero.”
Thankfully, the shelter was just a few days away from moving the animals to a new facility, so now, the rescued animal were all moved in there!