An eight-year-old boy was prepared to part with one of his most treasured possessions when his best friend needed him most.

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Bryson Kliemann, from Virginia, decided to sell his prized Pokémon card collection after discovering his mixed Labrador puppy, Bruce, had contracted a contagious virus called parvo.

With the cost of Bruce’s treatment running beyond $500 and his family unable to comfortably cover the bill, Bryson decided he wasn’t going to simply sit around and wait.

Instead, he came up with a plan of his own.

“Our income is very limited,” Kimberly Woodruff, Bryson’s mother, told The Washington Post. “I really didn’t realize how expensive it could be until this happened.”

His mother had assured him that the family would somehow find the money needed for Bruce’s treatment, but Bryson was determined to play his part.

After school, the eight-year-old set up a table and put his cherished Pokémon cards up for sale in an effort to raise money for the vet bill.

For Bryson, the reason was simple.

“Bruce got sick and needed my help,” Bryson told the newspaper. “I was super sad. I didn’t want to lose my best friend.”

His efforts soon began attracting attention far beyond what the family could have expected.

Woodruff shared a photograph of her son’s Pokémon card sale in a local Facebook group in an attempt to spread the word.

The post quickly went viral.

After just two afternoons of selling his cards, Bryson had managed to collect $400.

But something unusual was happening at his makeshift sale.

Rather than simply buying Pokémon cards from the youngster, people were turning up and giving him money without taking anything in return.

“A lot of people weren’t even buying them,” his mother said.

Others went one step further and donated Pokémon cards to Bryson, meaning the collection he had been willing to sacrifice for Bruce was being replenished almost as quickly as he could sell it.

“He sold some cards, but before I could even notice a dent in his collection, people had already dropped off so many more,” Ms Woodruff said. “It was amazing.”

What had begun as one eight-year-old trying to scrape together enough money to help his puppy was rapidly becoming something much bigger.

As Bryson’s story gained attention, his mother created a GoFundMe page with an initial target of $800 to help pay Bruce’s veterinary costs.

The response comfortably surpassed that figure.

More than $9,000 was donated as people rallied behind Bryson and Bruce, ensuring the family had enough money for the puppy to receive the treatment he needed.

And the generosity wasn’t limited to financial donations.

Bryson’s efforts eventually reached Pokémon employees in Bellevue, Washington, who sent him a special bundle containing rare collectible Pokémon cards.

For a youngster who had been prepared to sell his own cards to save his dog, it was an extraordinary turn of events.

Most importantly, however, Bruce got his treatment.

Woodruff later revealed that the puppy was “back to his puppy self” following his illness.

“He has more vaccine appointments, but he’s doing great, like amazing,” Woodruff told WCYB.

Bryson was understandably delighted with the outcome.

“I am super happy,” Bryson told The Post.

The impact of his decision didn’t end with Bruce’s recovery either.

With donations having exceeded the amount required for the puppy’s treatment, Woodruff explained that the additional money would be used to help other families struggling to afford medical treatment for their animals.

She had already donated some of the funds to a local animal shelter.

It meant a decision initially made by one young boy desperate to save his best friend could ultimately help other animals and their owners too.

“I never in a million years would have thought something that my eight-year-old did in a small community would have such an impact,” she said. “It truly has been incredible.”

Bryson’s plan had started with a table, a collection of Pokémon cards and one very important goal.

He was willing to give up something he loved because his puppy needed him.

Instead, strangers helped make sure Bruce received his treatment while also ensuring Bryson didn’t have to lose the collection he’d been prepared to sacrifice to save him.

Featured image credit: Erik Mclean / Pexels / Kimberley Woodruff / Facebook