It was a heartbreaking scene for Thor’s owner in São Paulo, Brazil. The three-year-old dog was discovered crying in pain, his face and body covered in hundreds of porcupine quills.
Yellow quills pierced his muzzle, forehead, nose, ears, and legs, leaving him in obvious agony.
Thor’s owner, Adriano Bertoline, was devastated but unable to afford the cost of veterinary care.
Unemployed and caring for his four children, Adriano turned to social media for help, pleading with local clinics and anyone who might be able to save his beloved dog.
“Good morning, folks… I woke up this morning to find my dog in this condition. Is there a clinic or veterinarian that can help him? I’m afraid I can’t pay,” Adriano wrote.
Fortunately, the post reached Dr. Jose Roberto Apolari, a local councillor, who immediately stepped in.
Moved by Thor’s suffering and Adriano’s situation, Dr. Apolari drove Thor to a veterinary clinic and covered the costs of his treatment.
Adriano expressed his gratitude online, calling Dr. Apolari “an angel” for helping in a moment of true desperation. “I couldn’t afford a private veterinarian.
I’m unemployed, with four children at home,” he shared.
This wasn’t Thor’s first painful run-in with a porcupine. According to Adriano, the dog had a similar encounter a year earlier, when a friend who worked at a clinic helped with treatment.
While Thor is now safe and recovering, the fate of the porcupine is unknown. Still, this moment of kindness from a stranger turned a painful ordeal into a story of community, compassion, and a dog’s second chance.
