FORT DUCHESNE, Utah — Three puppies are getting a second chance at life after being rescued following a porcupine attack.
The dogs were found on the Ute reservation in Fort Duchesne, Utah with dozens of porcupine quills lodged in their necks and faces.
Park City-based animal rescue Nuzzles & Co. was called to help get these puppies the life saving treatment they desperately needed.
“We see dogs impaled by porcupine quills often,” said Lindsay Ortega, the executive director of Nuzzles & Co. “They think it’s fun to chase porcupines. Porcupines aren’t fast movers, so their only defense is to disperse their quills.”
Nuzzles & Co. transported the dogs to Advance Veterinary Care, an emergency veterinarian in Salt Lake City. The quills were likely stuck to the animals for several days.
“They continue to migrate throughout the body, through the nasal cavity, inside the mouth and under the skin,” Ortega said.
Due to the severity of the injuries, two of the dogs each had an eye removed.
The rescue is optimistic the dogs will make a full recovery and be adopted into forever homes within a month.
“Most pets we rescue, they are out of options. If we don’t save them and provide them with what they need, their lives may be lost,” Ortega said. “They save us and give us all the love they have. We save them and give them a home.”
The rescue is in the process of capturing a fourth puppy that was also injured by porcupine quills.
The dogs are believed to be less than one year old.
Nuzzles & Co. is a non-profit organization that relies on donations to provide critical, life-saving care to rescue dogs and cats.
To donate to help pay for the veterinary expenses for these dogs, click here.
