GoFundMe Raises Almost $90K For Homeless Man Who Saved Dogs, Cats From Fire

Thanks to thousands of donors, a local homeless man who saved more than a dozen dogs and cats from a fire at a local animal shelter will soon have a home of his own.

Keith Walker, 53, was hailed as a hero last month after he saw the W-Underdogs shelter engulfed in flames and sprang into action. He saved six dogs and 10 cats from the blaze.

Walker was on his way to pick up his dog — a pit bull named Bravo, whom the shelter housed overnight — for a walk when he noticed the flames.

It appeared to have been an electrical fire that started in the kitchen, according to TMZ.

Though firefighters called animal control to help with the rescue, according to W-Underdogs owner Gracie Hamlin, Walker couldn’t wait.

"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 at the time. "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."

Because of his efforts, Georgia Works!, which aims to help chronically homeless people overcome their challenges, helped establish a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Walker.

It started with a goal of $5,000.

But as of Thursday morning (January 28). The campaign has raised nearly $90,000 from nearly 3,000 donors.

A separate GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $15,500 of a $20,000 goal to help the W-Underdogs shelter recover after the fire. The organization runs on volunteers and donations, according to the campaign.

Hamlin previously told CNN that the December 18 fire didn’t completely destroy the shelter, but it was uninhabitable.

Georgia Works! CEO Darlene Schultz said the organization will provide Walker, who has been homeless since he was 13, with housing at its facility in downtown Atlanta. Walker will still be able to see Bravo, who is at another facility. He’ll get three meals each day, accessibility to a licensed therapist and more through Georgia Works!, TMZ reported Thursday.

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

Photos: W-Underdogs