The Hound has been attacked by skunk lovers who want to own the animals as pets in Illinois. Well, read on what Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle did to a similar wild animal.
According to The Associated Press, Doyle signed a bill into law late last week that declares wild pigs harmful wild animals. Wild pigs have been a problem in southwestern Wisconsin for years as their rooting destroys the ground and crops. Designating the pigs as harmful means no one can possess, sell, buy, display or rehabilitate one.
The keywords here are possess, sell, buy, display or rehabilitate. Wild pigs may not be vermin, like skunks, but they certainly sharing the rooting around gene. Wisconsin also bans having a skunk as a pet and requires a special permit to keep one. That's because the state classifies them as wild or exotic animals. If you want to own a skunk, you need to have an an approved dwelling place for it, a licensed vet to care for it and have its musk sack removed.
But remember, skunk lovers, the animal is a member of the weasel family. Some people call them "stink cats," "polecats" or "smell cats." Gee, wonder where they got those names? Probably from some hound who got skunk stink on him or her.
A few notes for you hound.
1. There is a big difference between a ban and a permit policy. I am the guy who started this whole legalize skunks thing. I am asking for Illinois to adopt a permit policy similar to the ones in Wisconsin and Indiana. I may get sprayed by skunk lovers in other states for saying this, but I am against completely open policies, like Florida where anyone can buy a domestic skunk at a pet store. I believe permit policies make better pet owners and would gladly pay a fee myself.
2. The proper name for musk sack is scent gland, and it will be removed by a USDA licensed breeder before the skunk kit (baby) is adoptable.
3. Skunks are not members of the Weasle family. They are their own family Mephitidae. The species name is Mephitis Mephitis which actually means stink stink. I thought you would like that. Here's my source http://www.dragoo.org/Mephitidae.html
Do any of your readers live in Rep Karen May's district? If so, please send them to www.skunklaw.com so she will have a pet skunk supporter in her district and be able to help us out.
Thanks Hound, Dom
THE HOUND SAYS: Dom, any relation to Dick Durbin? If so, you don't need Karen May, Highland Park Democrat in the 58th House District, to jump on the skunk bandwagon. Gee, removing a skunk's scent gland sounds like such pleasant work. Perhaps it should be nominated for the "Dirtiest Jobs" show.
Skunks are not part of the weasel family - they have their own classification Mephitidae, not weasels mustelidae.
Please do the correct research before you make yourself sound any more ignorant
As my skunk Daisy roots around the carpet for popcorn tonight, I will be sure to remind my 5 pd powder puff, she is so lucky to live in a state that does not consider her ferocious vermin...
Anyhow you are missing the point - no one is saying don't regulate skunk ownership- the point is to make it legal and quit killing them for no good reason
THE HOUND SAYS: Holly, did you get Daisy for Christmas? Why is it that skunk owners name their little darlings after flowers? Striped skunks are members of the weasel family (Mustelidae) according to the University of Wisconsin. But why would you believe a center of higher education that has a badger as a mascot? Are there any schools that have skunks as their mascots? The Hound thinks not. Also, the only way skunks get killed in Illinois is when they step on the hard road and become roadkill.
I have owned skunks for over 30 years, along with cats, dogs, turtles and fish, and I can honestly say they have each stolen my heart in their own way. By the way, skunks are NOT members of the weasel family. They belong to the Mephitidae family. And not all of us devoted skunk owners name our furry babies after flowers, my current two are Prissy and Mr. Marsh (short for Marshmallow -- he's an albino). I have no quarrel with a permit policy -- it makes you think about the long-term ramifications of your action before you get involved. It is sensible and I wish permits were required for other "impulse buy" pets like bunnies which require special care, but a ban is an entirely different thing. Just as a question Hound -- have you ever actually MET a pet skunk? Or are you merely barking for the sake of making noise?
THE HOUND SEZ: The Hound merely barking? Yapping, perhaps. Skunks hang out at the dog house all the time. They're always after The Hound's food and drink.
We maintain a USDA/State licence to have a domestic skunk shelter and also maintain a wild skunk rehabber permit as well. We also educate the public on skunk care and also wild skunks. We provide 24/7 service for any one that needs help with their pet skunk. Our goal is also to set standards on skunks so vets can follow. Please look over www.skunkhaven.net . We have over 35 skunks in our home.
Like what Don said skunks are not part of the weasel family. Pole cats actually look like ferrets and not like skunks at all. I do have to comment on Don's Florida comment. In Florida you need to obtain a permit before you buy a skunk in a pet store.
Most states require a permit to own a pet skunk. There fore making revenue for the state wild life department with the income from these permits.
Domestic skunks have been bred in captivity for over 70 years. Any one selling domestic skunks for pets are require to maintain the USDA permit. Most states also require the seller to also hold a state permit too.In short in most states , people selling skunks for pets are required to hold two permits.
As a domestic skunk (not born in the wild but by USDA permitted breeders) make great pets for the right people. (just like any pet) The colors like lavender, smoke, grays, browns, white and so forth are not wild born. Thus thru DNA color changes are far from the wild born black and white cousins.
Our skunks sleep in bed with us. Go potty in litter boxes. Eat better than we do. We prepared meals daily for ours. We think to own pet skunks is just as normal to own a common cat or dog.
The skunk totem teachs us Respect and self-Esteem. Skunks are fearless but very peaceful.
THE HOUND SAYS: Geez, 35 skunks in your house? You must not live in Illinois. Anybody with 35 anything --- cats, dogs, possums --- would be due a visit from animal control and then DCFS investigators.
Check out Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma. Here is a link with their mascott on the page: http://pulf.org/pu/index.php?top=2 Also, please tell the Univ. of Wisconsin to update their database.
THE HOUND SEZ: Phillips University. PU. The Hound gets it. Only in Oklahoma.
USED to be part of the WEASEL family -that is no longer considered accurate - check your sorces- do ALL the research
University needs to update the info - try again
No I did not get Daisy for Christmas - although I do not know what relevence that has - not ALL skunks are named after flowers - just like ALL dogs are named Spot and ALL cats are named Tigger
THE HOUND SAYS: Skunk lovers probably lobbied the naturalists to move skunks away from weasels to make them more cuddly.
By maintaining the federal USDA permit, State permits, and wild life permits we have routine surprise inspections at any time seven days a week. We pass with flying colors each and every time. We also have letters of recommendations from them as well. At one time we cared for over 100 skunks (both wild and domestic)The wild skunks are released back into the wild and the domestics are in out home. Or we adopt out.
Skunks may have once been thought to be in the weasel family, but according to the Smithsonian Institution and every source I've found, they are in the Family Mephitidae. http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=156 Click on Mephitidae in the article for more info. I live in Fl., and have had a legal pet skunk, Harley, for almost 2 yrs. He is friendly, litter trained, and not destructive. He has no odor, and keeps himself as clean or cleaner than a cat, and gets along with my cat. I believe it should be legal to own Domestically raised skunks, not wild ones. Reasonable permits are fine to ensure the owner has the knowledge to care for the skunk properly. Deb C.'s letter states she is a shelter and a rehabber, she's not just keeping 35+ pet skunks. She has been visited by animal control, many times over the yrs, with no problems.
People need to speak from knowledge, not emotion or pre-conceived
ideas.
Damn Hound, you're turning out to be OK after all. You should do a story on cats or coons next, just to see if they raise as much stink as us skunkers.
By the way, I am not related to Senator Durbin, but I speak with his staff a few times a year (I do not think they know we are not related), but he can't do me much good though, skunks are legal on a national level, so I need a TRUE STATESMAN to help introduce an amendment to the wildlife code in Illinois.
I asked about Rep May because of how quickly she sends people out of district responses. She seems to imply that she would help the issue if a request came from her district. I have several zip codes on a generic petition from Lake county and Cook county, but so far I don't think any are from her district. It would be great to get one letter sent FROM her district.
THE HOUND SAYS: Listen Dom, Sen. Durbin is so tight with Barack, he may introduce a federal law approving of skunk ownership. Regarding Karen May, The Hound is unsure if North Shore liberals are skunk lovers.
THE HOUND SAYS: Pet skunk named Harley and you live in Florida. Bet you're a big hit during bike week at Pub 44 in New Smryna Beach.
Once upon a time, in the dark ages, we didn't have genetic sequencing. Instead, we classified animals by characteristics (frequently dental) and skunks were placed in the weasel family (Mustelidae). Dragoo and Honeycutt, however, studied the organization of the mustelid carnivores via sequencing of mitochondrial DNA. It is completely matrilineal, so all variation comes from the distance to the nearest common ancestor, thus allowing accurate evolutionary trees to be established. Skunks do belong to their own family, but resources published before 1997 have the old classification and so there is no justification to attack someone for having old information.
Now, I think so far you've been missing the point; this isn't about how much you hate the smell of low molecular weight thiols. It never has been. If the fact that you don't like skunks were a good reason to ban them, then the fact that I don't like dogs would also be reason to ban them. I suspect that if I suggested such a thing a large portion of the population would get quite upset and I'm really not the biggest fan of angry mobs with pitchforks.
It has always been about rabies. On that count, I'd like to point out that dogs don't get immunized against rabies until 3 to 6 months of age and add a couple of weeks to that for the vaccine to take effect. When you get a puppy from a breeder, it has not yet been vaccinated. You must trust that the breeder has ensured that the puppy has not been in contact with rabid wildlife. Is it not at least as reasonable to assume the same about a skunk breeder since, unlike a dog breeder, they're also subject to licensing and inspection by the USDA?
THE HOUND SAYS: Oh, let's all trust breeders. Then again, let's all trust the government. Too much information, dude. Gee, let's see, dog, domesticaed; skunks, wild animals. Hmmm, and why are they licensed by the USDA?