A local veterinarian was known for his wry humor. He surpassed himself one summer day when a woman, who was visiting, brought a dog to him after an encounter with a porcupine. After almost

A local veterinarian was known for his wry humor. He surpassed himself one summer day when a woman, who was visiting, brought a dog to him after an encounter with a porcupine.

After almost an hour of carefully removing dozens of quills from the squirming golden retriever, the vet wiped his brow and said, “Well, I’d say he definitely made his point.”

The woman gave a weak chuckle, still shaken. “Do you think he’s learned his lesson?”

The vet leaned in to inspect the dog’s face. “Depends. Was this the first time?”

“No,” she admitted, “He tried to ‘make friends’ with a porcupine last year too.”

The vet stood up and smirked. “Then I’m afraid your dog is what's known in the animal kingdom as an optimist.”

She sighed. “He’s also afraid of vacuum cleaners but charges wild animals like he’s invincible.”

“Classic golden retriever,” the vet said. “A heart full of love, a brain full of tumbleweeds.”

As he handed her the leash, he added, “You might want to keep him away from porcupines and philosophy books. He seems like the type who’d try to hug a cactus just to see if it needed one.”

The dog, tail wagging, tried to lick the vet’s face.

“See?” said the vet. “No grudge. Just forgiveness and a slightly flatter wallet for you.”

As she left, she asked, “Do you think he’ll stay away from porcupines now?”

The vet chuckled. “Madam, I’ve removed quills from this same dog three times. He either believes every porcupine is secretly his soulmate… or he’s applying for a job as a pincushion.”