Three stray dogs were left with quills embedded in their muzzles after they attacked a porcupine.
A snap shows one of the forlorn pooches with scores of spikes protruding from its snout after it got its comeuppance during the failed attack.
The stray dog and its two accomplices had gone to bite the large rodent in the early hours of 28th September, only to receive a showering of sharp quills.
They were found injured and weakened by workers at a market in Anapolis, Goias State, west-central Brazil, who were used to feeding them.
Credit assistant Maria Vitoria told how she and her colleagues removed the quills from the dogs’ muzzles themselves.
She told local media: “When we got to work, we saw the injured dogs. Two had only a few spikes, but the other had several.
“We felt so sorry for it because it was the only one that was unable to eat.”
Porcupines are known to release their sharp quills as a defence mechanism when threatened.
Despite being extremely painful, the quills only cause death if not removed, “because then the animal cannot eat”, biologist Edson Abram told local media.
Abram added: “Depending on the bite, the dog, in this case, will have thorns stuck in various regions, such as the muzzle, the tongue and the roof of the mouth.
“The removal must usually be done by a professional, who has to sedate the animal for the procedure.”
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
