Police dog spiked by 200 porcupine quills during pursuit

A police dog in Oregon is recovering after being spiked by 200 quills from a porcupine as he hunted down a suspect.

Police in Coos County called in K9 Odin after a person who had several arrest warrants against him ran away from officers in the Barview area.

As the police dog chased the suspect down a "very long active track" he came across a porcupine in which then shed its quills.

Odin was left with 200 of the spikes puncturing his body, with two very close to his eye.

Police stopped the pursuit immediately after seeing what happened to Odin and rushed him to a vet at Hansen-Meekins Animal Hospital, where he was treated for more than two hours. He is expected to make a full recovery.

In a post on Facebook, his owners said: "He is very sore, unhappy, and on meds but he is home."

Officers thanked the staff who treated him for their "dedication and professional care" and the public for its "overwhelming" support for Odin.

Police are searching for the suspect, a 29-year-old from Coos Bay, and have appealed for help.