“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Nelson Mandela
The concept of courage is defined as the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. Sometimes the choice is conscious, deliberate, while other times the decision is reached as a reaction to something happening and there seems to be no time at all for conscious thought.
Keith Walker showed incredible courage when he ran into a burning Atlanta rescue shelter to save the animals he knew were trapped inside. The risk of danger was obvious, but his decision to save them overrode concern for himself, and he was able to bring every animal, including 10 cats and 6 dogs, to safety.
The founder of the non-profit W-Underdogs shelter, Gracie Hamlin, told CNN that Walker acted as her “guardian angel”, while he credited God and his love for his own dog, Bravo, saying, “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 has been houseless for most of his adult life and was at the time of the rescue in late December 2020. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to give back to the hero who risked his life for shelter pets, while another has been set up for the shelter, W-Underdogs, which does fantastic work connecting at-risk youth with the rescue animals to teach the humans how to care for and love the animals. While that might seem frivolous at first, it’s anything but. Too many children grow up with neglect or abuse and unless they are taught an alternative, it’s so hard for them to break the cycle on their own. By giving them a way to give and receive love with the animals, they gain crucial experience with compassion and love, as well as learn useful animal care skills. Their emotional intelligence improves, which will serve them well as adults.
(Post source: W-Underdogs on Facebook)
Hat tip: People.com
