W-Underdogs, a non-profit animal shelter in Atlanta, Georgia, succumbed to a fire on the afternoon of Dec. 19. The headquarters and home of the organization's founder, Grace Hamlin, caught fire while she was out on a personal business. Fortunately for her, the cats and dogs in the shelter did not suffer the same fate as the structure. This was because of the brave intervention of a man named Keith Walker.
Animal shelter caught fire
Keith Walker is a homeless man who has been acquainted with Hamlin's organization because she lets him keep his dog in the shelter at night. On his way to pick up his beloved dog, a pit bull named Bravo, the 53-year-old Walker saw the fire. Without any hesitation, he rushed in to rescue Bravo and the other animals in the establishment. He was able to save all six dogs and ten cats inside.
"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. 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," Walker told CNN.
Out of fear of compromising their safety, the firefighters were not able to rescue the animals. Fortunately, Walker was already inside. Hamlin said, "Even the firefighters didn't want to handle the dogs. They called animal control, but Keith was already in the building pulling out the cats and dogs until they were all safe."
"Tonight we thank our guardian angels"
Hamlin thanked Walker, along with the Atlanta Fire Department and the Fulton Animal Services, for immediately responding to the fire and effectively preventing what could have been a graver situation. On the W-Underdogs Facebook page, she expressed her gratitude by saying, "Tonight we thank our guardian angels. The homeless man that ran into our burning house and rescued our animals." She also thanked everyone who supported and will continue to support the organization. She added, "We just wanted to say THANK YOU to all our friends and volunteers for coming to our immediate aide. We will need you in the next couple days and weeks as we recover. But we are in your good hands... we definitely have angels among us. We are all safe."
Because of the quick response of the Atlanta Fire Department, the shelter did not burn down completely. However, it is no longer fit to serve as a shelter for animals who need a home. Fortunately for the cats and dogs under their care, W-Underdogs was actually only a week away from moving into a new facility. The sudden shift in plans did not make the transfer easy as it added some unexpected expenses. That is why Hamlin and her organization needs the support of their patrons and anyone willing to volunteer, now more than ever.
You can keep yourself updated about this story by following W-Underdog's Facebook page, where they post everything regarding the recent incident along with other updates about their advocacy.
Keith Walker's bravery is proof of how far animal lovers are willing to go to protect their beloved pets.
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