Rescue organization hosts Thompson Park event to raise awareness and find homes for pet skunks.
By: Leon Tovey, Staff Writer
The Cranbury PressJAMESBURG — Rhonda Corkdale is probably not loved by her cable man.
While installing a cable hookup into the West Windsor resident's bedroom last year, the Comcast employee got a bit of a surprise when he moved her bed, Ms. Corkdale recalled Saturday.
"He came running out, yelling, 'lady, there's a skunk in your house!' " she said with a laugh. "It was pretty comical, really."
While the cable man's terror at the sight of Ms. Corkdale's 4-year-old pet skunk, Butterball, might be understandable to most people, it was unfounded, according to Ms. Corkdale and the 20 other people who attended a picnic and information session in Thompson Park on Saturday hosted by Skunk Haven Skunk Rescue Shelter and Education Center.
First of all, contrary to popular belief, skunks will not deploy their legendarily pungent defensive weapon at the slightest provocation, but only as a last resort if attacked or cornered, said Skunk Haven's New Jersey representative, Sherry DeMarchi, of Jamesburg.
Second of all, Ms. DeMarchi said, domestic skunks like hers and Ms. Corkdale's, which are bred by licensed breeders and raised in pens, have their scent glands removed when they are between 3 and 5 weeks old.
But while those who keep skunks are stalwart believers in the animals' suitability as pets due to the animals' intelligence, affectionate nature and distinctive personalities, they recognize that owning a skunk is not for everyone. Hence, Saturday's event, which was aimed at bringing together both current and prospective skunk owners and offering them advice on how — and whether — to keep the animals.
Skunk Haven, an Ohio-based international nonprofit organization that offers advice and assistance with pet skunks, was founded in 2000 by Deborah Cipriani. The organization currently has 13 chapters in the United States, as well as representatives in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom, and Ms. Cipriani said she spends at least one weekend a month on the road giving information sessions.
The sessions are important for a number of reasons, Ms. Cipriani said, not the least of which is that laws about owning skunks vary from state to state. Currently, only 15 states allow domestic skunks to be kept as pets, Ms. Cipriani said. It is illegal to keep a skunk taken from the wild, she said.
In New Jersey, a permit is required to own a skunk and the animal must be obtained from a licensed breeder within the state. New Jersey law also prohibits owners from taking skunks out in public (unless they are caged), because they are classified as a rabies vector — though Ms. Cipriani insists the animals are no more likely to have the disease than any other domestic animal, particularly if they've been given vaccinations, as she recommends.
Another crucial reason for the sessions is animal training and health, Ms. Cipriani said. While the animals make great pets, they are a lot of work and require careful attention to their emotional and dietary needs to avoid becoming aggressive or developing health problems like obesity and osteoporosis.
Full Story