A rescued puppy lost an eye and was left with 1,500 quills embedded in its face after trying to eat a porcupine in Alberta.
Brutus, a two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, had been abandoned and living in a First Nations community near Edmonton, Canada, when he was found.
The young pup had been caught with hundreds of quills, including seven in his left eye, after getting hungry and interfering with a porcupine’s burrow.
Brutus was found by rescue organization Paws Up Program (PUP) on August 7 after attempting to eat one of the porcupines, triggering its vicious defense mechanism.
PUP is now caring for the poor animal alongside another victim of a porcupine attack, which had quills stuck under its nose.
Brutus was rescued by the Paws Up Program after getting caught in spikes in Canada
Porcupine quills were found in the pup’s eyes, nose and mouth.
After being found with spikes in his snout, mouth and eyes, Brutus was rushed to a 24-hour vet for treatment.
More than 1,500 spikes were removed from his face.
The seven in his eye were said to be firmly planted on his face, causing him real anguish.
The puppy was collecting donations to help Brutus recover this week.
Porcupines can release their quills upon impact, as they are very loosely attached to their bodies.
They can’t shoot their quills.
Porcupines can have more than 30,000 quills on their bodies, and in some cases, these can even be fatal.
It is recommended that porcupine quills be removed by a veterinarian with the animal under sedation or anesthesia for safe removal.
Many porcupines live in areas of North America and their quills are so sharp that they can pierce skin and cut through muscles.
The spines also carry bacteria, which means they can serve as a source of infection, so it is necessary to remove them as soon as possible.
In March, a black Labrador was rescued after an encounter with a porcupine, found with dozens of quills in its face after being abandoned.
Brady Oliveira found the pup, believed to be between two and three years old, in “a lot of pain” on the front steps of a home, with multiple puncture wounds from the sharp spikes.
Brady said: ‘The dog had a face full of spikes and was in a lot of pain.
‘I drove to the community and when I saw him, I was absolutely heartbroken!
‘He was quite scared and shy, but I let him take all the time he needed until he started to trust me.
“His sad eyes told me that he was in a lot of pain and discomfort.”
Brady and his friend found Trooper on the front steps of a home, in pain and petrified from quills embedded in his face after an unfortunate encounter with a porcupine.
Brutus was lucky enough to be rescued by the rescue organization Paws Up Program
Brutus, the dog without porcupine quills on his head, after his rescue in Alberta
Brady had to sit with the terrified dog for a while to calm him down, before putting him in the car and taking him to the vet.
There, they were able to remove all the spikes from Trooper’s face, and although he was a little scarred and swollen, he made a quick recovery.
“I rushed him to the emergency vet, where the quills were surgically removed,” she said.
‘The next day he was picked up and taken to the Winnipeg SPCA. I did everything I could to get Trooper adopted.
Brady revealed that Trooper had been lucky enough to find a new family after being put up for adoption.
The Winnipeg Humane Society described him as an “absolute joy.”
In December 2022, a dog owner had to pay a $19,500 veterinary bill after his pitbull died from a porcupine quill attack.