At a glance

  • Two dogs arrived at Homeward Animal Shelter in Fargo, North Dakota late on a Wednesday night in mid August 2026.
  • Quills covered their faces, chests and legs.
  • 673 quills were removed by the following morning.
  • Quill removal in a case of this size is done under anaesthesia, not at home.

Two dogs were brought into Homeward Animal Shelter in Fargo late on a Wednesday night with porcupine quills across their faces, chests and legs. By Thursday morning, 673 quills had been removed from the two of them.

The number is arresting, but the reason this story is worth reading if you own a dog is the part that is not unusual at all. Porcupine encounters are common wherever the ranges overlap, and the instinct they produce in an owner, which is to start pulling quills out, is close to the worst available response.

Why quills are not a home job

A porcupine quill is barbed along its length. Pulling one out against the barbs tears tissue on the way, and quills that break off can migrate further into the body rather than staying where they entered. A dog with hundreds of them is also in significant pain and will not hold still for the process, which is why removal at this scale is done under general anaesthesia.

The practical guidance from veterinary sources is consistent and short: do not cut the quills, do not attempt removal at home, and go to a veterinarian promptly rather than waiting to see whether the dog settles. Quills near the eyes, mouth or throat make it more urgent, not less.

What is not known here

Reporting did not establish where the dogs encountered the porcupine, who owned them, or their condition beyond the quill count and the fact of treatment. Buddylio is not filling those gaps. A count of 673 is a striking enough fact on its own without a story built around it.

Sources

On the sourcing: The account of this specific case rests on a single local report from Valley News Live. Buddylio found no independent second account. The general guidance about why quills are removed under anaesthesia rather than at home is drawn from veterinary reference material, not from the report itself, and is labelled as background above.

How we reported this: Buddylio reviewed the named sources, checked the organizations and figures shown above, and added context for animal lovers. Any illustration is labeled and does not depict the actual animals or scene. Articles are editorial content, not veterinary advice.