Dog With Face Full Of Porcupine Quills Ready For Adoption

STANDISH, MI — A coonhound that turned up in northern Michigan earlier this summer with a face full of porcupine quills and no past beyond what animal welfare workers could piece together is ready for adoption. When or where Wishbone — that’s what the folks who have been looking after him for the last month and a half named him — tangled with the porcupine isn’t clear, but the threatened animal lodged about 400 quills in the dog’s face, chest and front legs.

A group of hikers found the emaciated dog along a trail on June 17, but he had probably been wandering around for some time, judging by the infection and the sheer amount of weight Wishbone had lost, according to Catherine A. Lemunyon, the director of Arenac County Animal Control in Standish.

The quills probably made it hard for Wishbone to eat, and he weighed about 40 pounds when he was found. Treeing walker coonhounds Wishbone’s age — estimated at a year and a half — usually weigh between 60 and 70 pounds, Lemunyon said.

It took Lemunyon and Arenac Bay Veterinary Service’s Dr. Ronald Schwab about 45 minutes to remove the porcupine quills from Wishbone, the Bay City Times reported.

Wishbone wasn’t microchipped, and he wasn’t wearing a collar. He’s also a “friendly guy,” Lemunyon told the newspaper. Treeing walkers are passionate hunters — which may explain Wishbone’s dreadful encounter with the porcupine — but they also make excellent family pets.

Efforts to unearth dog’s past have turned up dead ends, and Wishbone is “almost back to 100 percent,” Lemunyon said, so he is being put up for adoption, the Bay City Times reported. His weight is back up to around 60 pounds, his coat is sleek and shiny, and his hip bones are no longer jutting out, Lemunyon said.

Photos of Wishbone have been posted on the Animal Arenac County Animal Control Facebook page, generating a response from around the country.

“I’ve been overwhelmed calls, with a lot of kindness and a lot of support from everybody,” she said. “There's a lot of concerned people.”

The hapless dog instantly won hearts in the area and beyond. Hannah Senske, one of the hikers who found Wishbone, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to cover the dog’s veterinary costs. The goal was $1,000, but $2,310 was raised. The fund is no longer accepting donations.

As he has recuperated, Wishbone has shown himself to be a great dog, according to Lemunyon and shelter volunteer Mike Brechtelsbauer, who is fostering him.

“He’s turned out to be a real good house dog,” Brechtelsbauer said.

If you’re interested in adopting Wishbone, details are found on Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Arenac County Animal Control