Tiny hedgehog found abused, stripped of its spines

A maintenance worker at the University of Sheffield was horrified over the weekend when he stumbled upon a helpless hedgehog who had been stripped of his spines.

The little critter approached him in the student accommodation area, and upon noticing his abuse, the employee immediately brought him to Cawthorne Hedgehog Rescue And Care Centre in Barnsley.

SEE ALSO: Men threaten rape because they had to pay 17 cents more for cupcakes

Allan Broadhead, half of the couple that runs the rescue facility, later wrote about the hedgehog's condition in a heartbreaking Facebook post. "We have never seen a hog in such a state of neglect and deliberate harm done to it," he said, adding that they later gave the little guy medication and painkillers to calm him down.

The couple also noticed that the hedgehog, who they dubbed Fred, had a terrible case of ringworm, meaning that the neglect ran deeper than they first believed.

Related: Take a look inside Japan's new hedgehog adoption cafe:

According to The Sun, Broadhead took Fred to the vet for further testing as he has yet to uncurl due to stress. "Fortunately, after X-rays at the vets there were no broken bones discovered and now we've made him comfortable, he's eating and drinking and he's putting on weight."

The couple plans to take care of Fred for at least eight months until he regains his strength and also reported the incident to the RSPCA as well as the university.

Broadhead and his wife are attempting to find the "scum" responsible for the cruel act.

A spokesperson from the University of Sheffield spoke out on the situation, stating, "We are currently trying to find out why the poor hedgehog was in our university accommodation. It's good to hear the hedgehog is now doing well at the Cawthorne Hedgehog Rescue and Care Centre."

RELATED: Sonic the Hedgehog IRL