Dog miraculously survives 150-foot fall from cliff thanks to volunteer rescue team

Mark Winans has a new appreciation for the kindness of strangers. Last week, Winans' dog Kenny was rescued by a volunteer team from the Oregon Humane Society after he fell 150-feet down a cliff and Kenny's medical bills are being paid for almost entirely with donations from a crowd funding website.

Last week, Kenny, a 2-year-old husky-shepherd mix, was hiking in the Columbia River Gorge area outside of Portland, Ore. with Winans' roommate. Kenny broke free from his leash while chasing a squirrel and fell from a 150-foot cliff, landing in a shallow creek below.

A 10-person volunteer rescue team from the Oregon Humane Society spent hours working to rescue Kenny before eventually lowering one of their team members down the cliff and lifting Kenny to safety.

"It was a pretty crazy ordeal; watching them go to work, and the whole process of getting set up and then rappelling down was pretty incredible to watch," Winans told ABC. "I was pretty concerned for my dog's safety, but I also didn't want anyone else to get injured in the process."

Kenny fractured both of his front legs in addition to numerous cuts and broken teeth.

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Faced with thousands of dollars in medical bills for the medical care needed to save Kenny's life, Winans launched an online campaign to raise money for his injured dog. Within days, strangers had donated more than enough money to cover Kenny's medical bills. Winans has now promised to donate any additional money raised beyond the initial $10,000 goal to the rescue team that saved Kenny's life.

"I'm still blown away at how many people responded and continue to contribute," Winans said. "But I want to do my best to give back to them (the OHS Technical Animal Rescue Team) so they can keep helping other dogs in the future."

Kenny still can't put more than 10 percent of his weight on his front legs, so Winan is having to carry him. It will be a long road to recovery, but Kenny was discharged from the hospital on Sunday and is happily back at home with Winans.

"He's a sweet dog," Winans says of Kenny. "I would say we're, on some level, kindred spirits. He's very easy going and fun loving."