In southwest China’s Guiyang city, the generosity of a group of strangers helped save a runaway dog.

After seeing a dog hit by a car in the middle of the street, Liang Lin knew she wanted to help. But after bringing the injured canine to the hospital, she discovered the operation needed to save its life was too expensive for her own modest means.

Instead, she took her friends’ advice and turned to China’s Twitter-like microblog, Weibo, to appeal for donations. And the response from China’s online community was immediate and overwhelming.

"I was just asking for help. I didn’t expect so many donations." Liang Lin, Dog Rescuer said.

Liang Lin received more than 8,000 yuan in donations, enough to pay for the dog’s surgery.

News of the dog’s rescue spread across Guiyang, eventually catching the attention of one local resident, who called the hospital to identify himself as its original owner.

The owner thanked Liang Lin and the online donors for saving his pet of 17 years. And he said he’d pay for the cost of his dog’s treatment, allowing Liang Lin to give back again.

"I will return the money to the Weibo donors. For donations that were made anonymously, I’ll give the money to medical centers and charity foundations." Liang Lin said.

Liang Lin says she hopes the kindness and generosity shown by the public towards her will continue to reach others in need in the future.