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I have over 18 years of
experience in the MIS field (computers. I have managed several MIS departments
and have been the project leader for many very large design projects. This work
has involved leading teams of unrelated people in design and implementation of
computer systems and the resulting procedural changes.
I
have been a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator for over 12
years. I have been doing educational animal programs for about 10 years
starting with my Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pig and most recently with my skunk,
raccoon, and mink. It is my hope that by educating the public, I can teach
tolerance and respect for animals that many people see as nuisances. I got my
first domestic skunk in 1998 and have taken in numerous homeless pet skunks and
cared for them until I could find them homes.
I
have always loved animals of every shape and size. I started with dogs and cats
and have progressed to more unusual pets. I enjoy getting to know them and
learning their particular habits and preferences. Most of all I enjoy
communicating with them. They 'speak' their way and I speak mine, but somehow
we learn how to communicate with each other. I find that the most rewarding
part of pet ownership.
Skunks seem to be rather misunderstood creatures. Due to their scent glands,
one’s first reaction is to stay far away from skunks. However, when purchased
from a breeder and brought into a home setting, they adapt very well. They are
friendly and loving. Personally, I like them much better than cats. They steal
your heart and they don't give it back!!
I wish the people who think of all skunks as 'wild' could see the way Kodak used
to play with me or how Sienna followed me around the house, so much so that I
had to be careful not to trip on her! She took naps resting her head on my foot
and gave me so many cheek rubs (a skunk’s sign of affection) that I was afraid
she will wear the fur off her cheeks! After meeting a pet skunk in person, I
think they would have a different view of skunks. I got Sienna at about 6
months of age and she had been abused. She had no reason to love or trust a
human being. Yet after months of work with her, she DID begin to love and trust
me. She eventually considered me her best friend. I believe her ability to
overcome her abuse shows how flexible and adaptable skunks are. (However, I am
NOT saying that this makes it OK to abuse them.)
Does this mean I'm saying that everyone should run right out and buy a pet
skunk? No, I'm not. While I do think they make wonderful pets, they do need
the right homes. Skunks need attention (as does any pet). They have specific
dietary needs (and cat food is NOT good for them, despite what many are told by
pet stores and others). They have odd quirks like wanting multiple litter boxes
throughout the house. In many cases, permits from the DNR or Fish and Game are
required to possess them and that entails special rules. Not all veterinarians
will treat a skunk and it may be harder yet to find one that has experience with
skunks. So before you run out and get one, you need to consider the extra work
and attention you will need to spend on this animal.
My most memorable 'skunk moment' was the day I realized that Sienna was no
longer afraid of me, but didn't know how to tell me. She had been rubbing her
cheek along a table leg a few feet away from me and I was feeling slightly
jealous that she would 'love on' a table leg but not me, especially with all the
time I had been spending with her. Since she had been beaten in her previous
home, I understood her shyness, but found it sad that she still did not trust
me. She looked so cute that I finally couldn't help myself. I had to go pet
her. It was when she relaxed under my hand that I realized that she had been
'blowing kisses' to me from across the room. She WANTED me to come pet her, but
was still too afraid to come over to me. So she tried to entice ME to come to
HER. It worked and we have been 'best buddies' ever since! It is for Sienna
that I began this quest to get a rabies vaccine approved for use in skunks.
I am involved with ASRR because I fully support the goal of getting the rabies
vaccine approved for skunks and getting a quarantine period defined. This will
give us the tools we need to change the laws that currently require the death of
a skunk who bites (whether it was done accidentally while playing or not). It
took a long time, but the ferret people did this for ferrets. And it may take
us awhile, but we can and WILL do this for skunks!
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