A warrior is said to be brave and not easily defeated, which perfectly describes a stray four-month-old Belgian Malinois puppy named Belvas.

He had a rough start to life, but refused to give up.

The sick puppy was spotted wandering alone by a good Samaritan who brought him to the Animal Welfare League (AWL) of Kosciusko County, Indiana. He had the word 'kill' shaved into his side and was in desperate need of medical attention.

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The rescue said when the puppy arrived he was lethargic, vomiting, and had blood in his stool. They immediately tested him for parvovirus and it came back positive. The staff named him Belvas and rushed him to a veterinary clinic to try and save his life.

In addition to battling the deadly canine virus, the little guy had pneumonia as well. All they could do was pray that he would pull through - and he did!

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The rescue asked for donations to help cover his medical costs through a GoFundMe page, which raised over $7,500. Belvas proved he's a fighter and slowly started to eat and regain his strength.

"We want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has donated to Belvas' care so far. Today he was able to eat his first few bites of solid food and keep it down. He also seems brighter and more alert. He loves getting cuddles from his care givers," wrote the rescue.

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He was taken in by a medical foster family who continued his care and fell in love with the sweet boy. An update on Belvas posted by the rescue shared some exciting news. "Belvas continues to grow stronger with each passing day, and we are told his foster family plans on ADOPTING HIM!"

Belvas already adores his canine sibling and has his whole life ahead of him thanks to a supportive community. Kalie Dirck with AWL said, "Thank you ALL for the love, prayers and support you’ve shown our precious little warrior. Situations like these make me proud to be such a vital part of our rescue team!"

The rescue urges everyone to vaccinate their dogs against parvovirus. "This is a lesson of the importance of vaccinating your pets for these fatal yet preventable diseases."