A stray dog found wandering alone in the desert and blinded by porcupine quills is on the mend thanks to the generosity of those who rescued him. Willy was discovered in desperate condition by a woman in a rural area of eastern Utah. According to Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS), he was “barely hanging on for life, dehydrated, emaciated, flea-infested, and with severe injuries to both eyes, likely from porcupine quills that had gone untreated for weeks or longer.”

The poor dog was in a lot of pain. The dog’s condition shocked CAWS, Utah’s oldest animal rescue group.

“Wandering, starving, thirsty, in excruciating pain, and blind – and for who knows how long,” CAWS stated on Facebook.What an awful sight he was for our volunteer crew, who got in right away to see what could be done for this homeless and desperate pooch.”

What gave them hope was Willy’s gratitude for being 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,” a spokesperson for CAWS said. “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.”

Fortunately, with the help of its fantastic supporters, the animal rescue group was able to raise enough money for his surgery. Doctors were unable to save his eyes because “an unimaginable number of old porcupine quills were removed from his eyes, face, and feet.”