Through rain and shine, snow and sleet; Willie Ortiz has cared for his feral neighborhood cats every day for the last 22 years – and when we say every day, we mean every day.

The 75-year-old collects recyclable scrap metals which he sells at a salvage yard. All of the money he makes, he uses to buy cat food for the 68 local felines in Hartford, Connecticut. If a new furry friend joins the colonies, he carefully captures it so he can get it spayed or neutered.

“Willie’s cats are all very healthy because he makes sure they get what they need to have as good a life as possible,” says Willie’s friend Kathleen Schlentz. “New cats wander in or get dropped off by people that won’t or can’t care for them, and unfortunately some existing cats get hit by cars, don’t survive the winter, or even worse.”

RELATED: Public Raises $100K For Widower Selling Kindling to Pay Wife’s Medical Bills

Despite those mishaps, however, Willie soldiers on with his mission.

To assist with his financial burden 14 months ago, Kathleen set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for cat food, vet visits, feline medication, and gas money.

“He collects and sells scrap metal everyday, no matter the weather. He relies on donations so he can continue his mission. He has not missed one night of feeding despite the rain, snow, freezing weather or his own health issues.”

Donations were few and far between – until one of their friends posted the story on Reddit. Contributions poured in, raising a total of $25,000.

CHECK OUT: Man Becomes Hero to Cats in War-Torn Syria

Kathleen says that Willie couldn’t believe his good fortune.

“He was so excited and when he gets really excited, I have trouble understanding his accent. He was so happy and so relieved! He really wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through the winter,” says Kathleen.

“He said ‘Do you think I should take a day off from scrapping?’. I told him: ‘I think you should take 2…’”

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Kathleen Schlentz)