This is the amazing moment a dog was rescued after being abandoned with dozens of hedgehog feathers stuck to its face.
Brady Oliveira, 26, a dog rescuer from Winnipeg, Canada, was left heartbroken after receiving a call about Trooper – so he decided to make the trip to save the dog.
He found the black Labrador, believed to be around two or three years old, in a ‘ton of pain’ on the front steps of a house – with multiple punctures from the sharp quills.
Brady, a professional athlete with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, often rescues animals in need and broadcasts their journey to his 200,000 followers on his Instagram account @brady.oliveira.
Brady said: ‘The dog had a face full of quills and was in a lot of pain.
Brady Oliveira from Canada rescued black Labrador Trooper (pictured) who had dozens of hedgehog feathers on his face
Trooper, aged around two, has been given a fresh start in life and has been adopted – although he still has scars from quill punctures
‘I drove out to the community and when I saw him I was absolutely heartbroken!
‘He was quite scared and timid but I let him take all the time he needed until he started to trust me. His sad eyes told me he was in a lot of pain and discomfort.’
Brady and his friend found Trooper on the front steps of a house in a lot of pain and petrified with quills on his face after an unfortunate encounter with a hedgehog.
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 vets.
There they were able to remove all the quills from Trooper’s face and despite being a little scarred and swollen, he quickly bounced back.
Brady, who owns three dogs himself, even came back to visit Trooper at the adoption center to try to help him find a new home, and a few weeks later, the happy pup managed to find a new family.
Brady has now revealed the happy news that Trooper will have a fresh start and has found a new family after being put up. up for adoption at the Winnipeg Humane Society, who described him as an ‘absolute joy’.
He said: ‘I needed to sit with him for a bit until he could trust me and then put a leash on him and load into my truck.
Brady was devastated after hearing about Trooper and rushed to his rescue (pictured together)
Brady put Trooper in his car and took him to the vet where they removed the spine
The athlete found Trooper on the front step of a house, petrified and in pain
Brady had to sit with Trooper for a while until he was calm enough to be put in charge
‘I rushed him straight to the emergency vet where he had the quills surgically removed.
‘The next day he was picked up and taken to the Winnipeg Humane Society. I did my absolute best to get Trooper adopted.
‘I took him to his first adoption event and a few weeks later he was adopted!’
Brady’s Instagram followers were left moved by the touching story and Trooper’s adorable attitude.
One commented: ‘What a sweet boy! Thanks for all you do!!
Another said: ‘I’m so in love with Trooper and would adopt him in a heartbeat if I didn’t already have 3…ugh.’
Brady already has three dogs of his own, so Trooper was put up for adoption at The Winnipeg Humane Society (Brady and Trooper pictured together)
The Labrador was described as an ‘absolute joy’ by the adoption center and is ready for a fresh start in life
Hedgehogs are large rodents covered in sharp spines or feathers that protect them from predators. It is not uncommon for their quills to become stuck in dogs or other pets.
It is advised that hedgehog quills should be removed by a vet with the animal under sedation or anesthesia for safe extraction.
Many hedgehogs live in areas of North America, and their quills are so sharp that they can puncture skin and move through muscle.
The rocks also carry bacteria with them, which means they can serve as a source of infection, so they need to be removed as soon as possible.
The hedgehog can have more than 30,000 quills on its body – and in some cases they can even prove to be deadly.
In December 2022, a dog owner was left with a $19,500 vet bill after their pit bull died from a porcupine quill attack.