A stray dog found wandering alone in the desert and blinded by porcupine quills is on the mend thanks to the kind people who rescued him. A woman found Willy in desperate shape in a rural eastern Utah area.

He was “barely hanging on for life, dehydrated, emaciated, covered in fleas, and with severe injuries to both eyes, likely from porcupine quills that have gone untreated for weeks or longer”, according to Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS).

The poor dog was suffering a great deal. CAWS, Utah’s oldest animal rescue group, was alarmed by the dog’s condition.

CAWS wrote on Facebook, “Wandering, starving, thirsty, in immeasurable pain, and blind – and for who knows how long…What a very upsetting sight he was for our volunteer team, who immediately jumped in to see what could be done for this homeless and desperate pup.”

Willy was covered in porcupine quills. Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS)

What gave them hope was that Willy was so grateful to be rescued. “The GOOD news (can you believe there is any?) is that this pup is so, so, so dang sweet, quiet, kind, and patient with us as we try to help him,” CAWS shared. “He always wags his tail when we talk to him and has been such a good patient as we frantically try to put him back together.”

Thankfully, the animal rescue group raised enough money for his surgery with help from their wonderful supporters. Sadly, doctors could not save his eyes because he had “an unimaginable number of old porcupine quills removed from his eyes, face and feet.”

Willy is doing so much better after his eye surgery. Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS)

Poor Willy!

During his treatment and recovery he is in foster care and is being tended to by Tiffany Henline, an experienced CAWS foster.

The group shared on Facebook that Willy is doing well after his surgery. They wrote, “Wonderful news is that he’s navigating his foster home with ease. He is a happy boy who is feeling SO MUCH better.”