A rescue pup lost an eye after an interaction with a porcupine left him with 1,500 quills stuck in his face.

Brutus, two, was abandoned in early July and had been living in a First Nation community in the Treaty No. 6 Territory near Edmonton, Canada.

But earlier this month, in search of food, Brutus came across a porcupine den and attempted to eat one.

The Staffordshire bull terrier was found with hundreds of quills all over his face, including in his snout, his mouth and his eyes.

Ashley Bard, 40, president of the animal rescue organisation Paws Up Program (PUP), was quickly alerted and Brutus was taken to an emergency 24-hour vet.

More than 1,500 quills were removed from Brutus' face including seven, which were firmly planted in his left eye.

After a few days of treatment, the vet decided that Brutus' eye was too damaged to survive and it was removed on August 13.

Ashley, from Edmonton, Alberta, said: "As well as the quills all over his face and eye, he also had many quills inside his mouth."

"In an attempt to eat the porcupines, he ended up with quills in his teeth, gums and roof of his mouth."

"He has been a total sweetheart throughout."

"Even when he still had the quills in, some dogs get a little aggressive, but Brutus was very calm."

This is not the first time PUP has dealt with such issues as porcupine quills are a common problem for dogs in the area.

Ashley said: "Unfortunately, these types of incidents happen all too often."

"A lot of the dogs living in First Nations are outdoor and will often find food of their own, which leads to these interactions with porcupines."

"This is the 27th porcupine quill call we've had in the last two months."

Brutus is expected to make a full recovery from his surgery and is now looking for a forever home.

Information regarding Brutus' adoption can be found at https://www.pawsupprogram.com and donations to PUP are accepted via PayPal Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=Y6VACPAXRH4XC.