From Agony to Resilience: Unmasking the Extraordinary Courage in Rescuing a Terrified Dog Adorned with 350 Porcupine Spines

A two-year-old dog was found near an airport in Texas, USA with hundreds of porcupine spines embedded in his face and body.

According to The Dallas Morning News, a stray terrier named Quillen was discovered with about 350 sharp porcupine spines on its body. It wandered the streets near the Dallas airport and was brought to the North Texas Humane Association on August 1. Photo: North Texas Humane Association.

The dog had spikes stuck around its mouth and under the arch of its neck. It’s more likely that it couldn’t drink water or eat anything,” said Dr. Cynthia Jones of the North Texas Humane Society. “It could have been too close to the hedgehog and was barking when the spikes were released. That’s why it has many spines below its neck.” Photo: North Texas Humane Association.

After the dog was taken to the veterinary clinic, Dr. Jones disinfected it and gave it pain medication before giving it a salt water bath. Then, she patiently pulled each thorn out of the dog’s body. Photo: North Texas Humane Association.

It took Dr. Jones nearly two hours to remove about 350 porcupine quills from Quillen’s body and she is confident there are still spikes hidden under the dog’s fur. “The next day, we found a few more spikes because some were broken and we didn’t notice them at first,” Jones said. According to Dr. Jones, Quillen is recovering very quickly and will be adopted soon.