A very pointed response! Brutus the rescue pup is left with 1,500 quills in his face, including 7 in his left eye, after he tried to eat a porcupine

An Alberta shelter puppy lost an eye and was left with 1,500 quills in his face after trying to eat a porcupine.

Brutus, a two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, had been abandoned and living in a First Nation community near Edmonton, Canada, when he was found.

The young pup was stuck with hundreds of quills, including seven in its left eye, after becoming hungry and interfering with a porcupine’s burrow.

Brutus was found on August 7 by rescue organization Paws Up Program (PUP) after he attempted to eat one of the porcupines, triggering his vicious defense mechanism.

PUP is now caring for the poor animal along with another victim of a porcupine attack, where the quills were stuck under its nose.

Porcupine quills were found in the puppy’s eyes, nose and mouth

After quills were found in his snout, mouth and eyes, Brutus was rushed to a 24-hour veterinarian for treatment.

More than 1,500 quills were removed from his face.

The seven in his eye were said to be firmly planted in his face, which caused much unrest.

PUP was collecting donations to help Brutus recover this week.

Porcupines can release their quills upon impact because they are only loosely attached to their bodies.

They cannot shoot their quills.

Porcupines can have over 30,000 quills on their bodies. In some cases, these can even be fatal.

It is advisable to have porcupine quills removed by a veterinarian, with the animal under sedation or anesthesia so that the quills can be removed safely.

Porcupines are common in areas of North America. Their quills are so sharp they can pierce skin and penetrate muscle.

The spines also carry bacteria, meaning they can be a source of infection, so they should be removed as soon as possible.

In March, a black Labrador was rescued after being found with a porcupine, abandoned and with dozens of quills in his face.

Brady Oliveira found the puppy, estimated to be two or three years old, in “extremely severe pain” on the sidewalk in front of a house — with multiple holes from the sharp spikes.

Brady said: ‘The dog had a face full of thorns and was in a lot of pain.

“I drove to the community and when I saw him I was completely distraught!”

‘He was quite scared and shy, but I gave him 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 great pain and terrified of the quills embedded in his face after an unfortunate collision with a porcupine.

Brutus was lucky to be saved by the rescue organization Paws Up Program

Brutus, the dog without porcupine quills in 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 had some scarring and swelling, he recovered quickly.

“I immediately took him to the emergency room, where the spines were surgically removed,” he said.

“The next day he was picked up and taken to the Winnipeg Humane Society. I did everything I could to get Trooper adopted.

Brady said Trooper was fortunate to find a new family after being put up for adoption.

The Winnipeg Humane Society described him as “a true delight.”

In December 2022, a dog owner was left with a $19,500 vet bill after his pit bull died from a porcupine attack.