CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (News10)-In February, 2022 Deniro, an abused puppy with a broken jaw and ribs was found abandoned in a box outside a gas station in Troy. Since he was discovered on that cold winter day, many kindhearted folks have rallied to help the dog, including non-profits, his foster family and an area veterinary surgeon.

News10’s Anya Tucker met the pup who is living with his foster parents Calvin and Stephanie Koval. Deniro is now thriving within the family that includes his “foster dog brother” Mud and a new addition, the Koval’s 12-week-old daughter Halle. “He’s tough,” said Calvin describing Deniro. “He’s just got a big heart, but he’s also a tough guy,” Stephanie added.

But it took a lot of love on the part of the Koval’s as well as surgeries and generous donations to get just him to this point. There was an initial four-hour long surgery to repair his jaw, paid for by kind donors. Dinero is also under the care of Rottie Empire Rescue, the non-profit connected the dog with veterinary surgeon Dr. Joseph C. Glennon, VMD, DACVS of Veterinary Specialties in Pattersonville, NY. Dr. Glennon implanted bone plates on the dog’s lower jaw to anchor the bone together as both breaks heal. The veterinarian is also set perform surgery to remove the hardware. He is kindly waiving the fee and doing the work pro bono. “Poor little guy had a rough start in life. I think we can do this for him,” Dr. Glennon said. “He has other things that have to be done yet in his future,” he added. “We are just blown away by his generosity,” said Rottie Empire Rescue. A spokesperson for the non-profit went on to mention how thankful they are for Dr. Glennon and his practice.

Deniro also faces a possible costly hip replacement as well as dental work. That’s why Rottie Empire Rescue is asking for donations to cover any other medical costs moving forward. In the meantime, the Koval’s are preparing Deniro, who never lost his loving spirit, for adoption and his forever home.

As for the accused alleged abuser, Khadijah Davis, Troy Police say there’s a bench warrant for her arrest after she allegedly skipped a court appearance. Anyone wanting to help cover Deniro’s medical costs or other dogs benefiting from Rottie Empire Rescue’s work is free to click here.