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dog with cactus spines in nose

Puppy Covered in Cactus Makes Incredible Transformation

Written by: Arizona Humane Society
Cholla Charlie Found Himself in Quite the Prickly Predicament.

An adorable 5-month-old Chihuahua puppy, affectionately named Cholla Charlie, was found covered in cholla cactus in Surprise, AZ. Now, almost a month after his rescue, this sweet pup is almost ready for his forever home at the Arizona Humane Society!

Cholla Charlie was found covered in cactus from head to toe and clearly in quite a bit of pain. Once transferred to AHS from Surprise Animal Control, AHS’ Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital™ veterinarians performed a procedure to remove the cactus spines from all over his tiny five-pound body, including his mouth, ears and paws. After a few days of observation to ensure he had no other ailments, he headed to an AHS Foster Hero home for continued care to ensure no spines were missed, as they can cause an infection if left in the skin.

Now that he is medically cleared, Cholla Charlie will be up for adoption on Wednesday, August 18 at AHS’ Scottsdale PetSmart located off of Miller and Camelback. Just one of the more than 11,000 pets that receive lifesaving treatment in AHS’ animal trauma hospital each year, this lucky pup is a perfect example of the sick, injured and abused pets AHS cares for here in the Valley who have nowhere else to go.

Keep an eye out for his profile at www.azhumane.org/adopt and schedule an appointment to adopt! Please note that pets available today may not be available by the time of your appointment as pets are adopted on a first come, first served basis. We are unable to hold or transfer pets between adoption locations.