Young boy sells his Pokemon card collection to pay for his sick dog’s $700 treatment

Instead of asking his parents for money, this young boy decided to take matters into his own hands when his puppy got sick.

Eight-year-old Bryson Kliemann of Lebanon, Virginia, would do anything for his beloved dog Bruce—even if it meant selling all his Pokémon cards.

Kimberly Woodruff, Bryson’s mom, said they noticed Bruce wasn’t acting like his usual self. The 4-month-old puppy wasn’t coming out of his crate and was “very lethargic.”

“He is a very playful puppy, and he wasn’t really moving,” she observed.

They rushed Bruce to Southwest Virginia Veterinary Services, and the dog was eventually diagnosed with parvo, a highly contagious virus in dogs that can be lethal if left untreated.

The procedure needed to treat him would cost nearly $700—a price that the family couldn’t afford to pay.

“It made me kind of sad because usually my brother and sister play together and I don’t have anybody to play with. So, I usually play with him (Bruce),” Bryson said.

Bryson couldn’t afford to lose his best friend, but he knew his mom and dad didn’t have the money to pay for Bruce’s treatment. So, he hatched up a plan: putting his Pokémon card collection up for sale.

“I know everybody likes Pokémon cards so I just decided to sell them,” he said.

This collection took four years to build, but Bryson was willing to sacrifice his prized possession to keep Bruce alive.

Kimberly didn’t know about this until she received a text message from a friend while she was in school. The message came with a picture of Bryson seated on a table set up on the side of the road with a handmade sign that read, “Pokemon 4 Sale.”

Kimberly knew how much Bruce meant to her son, so she helped Bryson raise money by posting his photo on Facebook.

Bryson sold the cards for $5 to $10. But once more people caught wind of his story online, people began to donate without expecting to get any Pokémon card in return.

With the urging of friends, Kimberly eventually started a GoFundMe and set the goal at $800.

But once word got out about Bryson’s selfless act, donations from all over the country started pouring in. So far, the fundraiser has collected $18,475!

In a May 11 update on the fundraiser’s page, Kimberly said that Bruce is now home with them and “doing great but still in recovery.”

Even better, Bryson was also able to help another family who is currently in a tough situation with their mommy dog. With the extra donations, the mommy dog was able to get home to her puppies.

Bryson and Kimberly couldn’t be more thankful for the support they received from the community.

“Bryson and I just want to thank all of you! Bruce is home and doing amazing,” Kimberly wrote on the fundraiser’s page.

“We are continuing to help other dog families in our community. As Bryson’s mothers I cant thank everyone enough. For the love and support you have shown bryson. It truly shows that there is still alot of good left in this world.”

On the other hand, Bryson is just glad that Bruce is recovered and happy—and that he got his playmate back.

“I was so happy because I really wanted to get him back,” he said.

The remaining money from the fundraiser will be used to pay for Bruce’s future vaccinations. A part of it will also be left on Bryson’s account at the animal hospital to cover future vet visits.

Bryson has also decided to use a portion of the donations to help other families vaccinate their dogs. The rest will remain with the animal hospital.

Kimberly also made sure that her son would be able to reward himself for his selfless act.

Thank you, Bryson, for doing everything you can to save Bruce’s life and the lives of the other sick dogs in your community!

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