Return of Baby Animal Crisis

[oakenguy]

My boss's daughter found a baby skunk wandering around completely lost and alone in South Boston! (She looked around the neighborhood for a long time trying to find some sign of the mom, but no luck). It's barely larger than her palm, still too young to spray, totally defenceless (and adorable).

When she called the Animal Rescue League they said that a) it's illegal for her to have it, and b) if she gave it to them they'd shoot it because it takes far too much effort to train a young skunk to fend for itself. Oh, and her landlord's coming to the house tomorrow to fix the roof, and he's already threatened to kick her out if she gets one more pet.

Oy. Time for another panicky search on the internet. Does anyone out there have any advice?

Comments

[snowwand.livejournal.com]

email this guy: http://stevekemper.net/work3.htm

Jerry Dragoo—Mammalian systematics and ecology. jdragoo@mail.unm.edu

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Drumlin Farm? (Audubon society; it's out along Rt. 117, I forget which town, but on the way to Walden Pond.)

I know that they have a section where they rehabilitate orphaned wild animals. If it turns out the animal can't be rehabbed back into the wild, they have a section of the farm where they keep them on more or less permanent exhibit (they have a couple of foxes, and I think they might have a skunk or two). I don't have any idea what their policies are -- but I'd sure give 'em a call. Even if they couldn't take the skunk, I bet they're networked with other rescue/rehab organizations.

[(Anonymous)]

Call Urban Wildlife Rehabilitation Inc.
They're in Springfield but can tell you where to call more locally:
Dee Howe: 413 - 788-7888 or 781-1505


They say this about skunks:
Raccoons & Skunks: Nocturnal animals such as raccoons and skunks will generally wait until it is dark to retrieve their young. Place the animal in a cardboard box with some soft bedding, a heat source and place in a quiet area. Once it is dark, place the box where you found the baby. Keep pets indoors!

Watch from a window or concealed area. If the mother does not come and retrieve her young, call Urban Wildlife.

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

Ooops, that was me. Dee's the lady who took in our raccoon kits.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Remember that baby -- squirrel? Opossum? Gah, I can't remember -- that you and Toby found back in 1999? I took it to the New England Wildlife Center. They're good folks. Give them a call. It's a bit of a drive, but I'm pretty sure they'll take a skunk.

Also, it's really @#$(*&@ STUPID that the Animal Rescue League would say that to ANYONE because #$(*&@#)@* skunks are one of the main $*)@(%&#) rabies vectors in Massachusetts. They'd have to do SOMETHING to make sure it wasn't infected so that whoever came into contact with it would know whether to get prophylaxis or not. The best way to do this is to @$*@)$#(*@ well quarantine it and keep it alive. STUPID STUPID ARL IDIOTS.

[ravena-kade.livejournal.com]

saw your post while poking through a friends friend list.

What about the MSPCA? And I would call PETA on the Animal Rescue League person...And I do mean that person, personally. Oy!

[kittybrat.livejournal.com]

PETA would probably have the person shot, those fucking nazis.
(But I think it's really stupid that they'd shoot the skunk... takes too much effort... PFF. They don't say that about orphaned kids, which they probably should once in awhile. -joke, no offense to orphan kids.)

[kittybrat.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad that people have some good advice for you, because I have nothing, and it made me really sad.

[stickemup.livejournal.com]

1) Hide the skunk while the landlord's there. Take it to someone else's house. 2) I don't know that it's legal to keep a skunk as a pet at all. If it's not, then you best bet would be to find an animal sanctuary where the baby skunk can live freely and happily.

That pisses me off about Animal Rescue. I'd think it would be illegal for them to kill animals at all!

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I don't know that it's legal to keep a skunk as a pet at all.

Pretty much all "exotics" are illegal in Massachusetts.

I'd think it would be illegal for them to kill animals at all!

It would be nice, but ARL, like the SPCA, is a kill shelter. Kill shelters usually have very limited space for wildlife rehab, if at all, and a limited period of life for the domestic animals they do take in. Depending on who runs a given shelter, they may not work with rescue organizations (even to the point of being obsessively obstructive to people who honestly want to give an animal an actual chance at life and a home).

Kill shelters piss me the hell off. I don't give money to the SPCA or any other organization that doesn't clearly say, "We are a no-kill shelter."

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Uh. Hm. *eyes ARL dubiously, all of a sudden*

Do you know (off the top of your head) of no-kill shelters in the Boston area?

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Cat-specific? Or cat-and-dog? I used to have a list of them, but I can't seem to find it. Most places will declare themselves as no-kill on their front webpage. If they don't, assume they're a kill shelter.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

What is it with you and abandoned baby animals??

I have no additional advice, but I selfishly want to see a picture!

[piratetaranee.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. You're like Mr. Animal Rescue this season.

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure! Maybe it's that they're wobbly, disoriented, and seem overwhelmed by it all...like calling to like, y'know.

[(Anonymous)]

Here's a list of Mass. wildlife rehabilitators. Supposedly they only take sick or injured animals, but it's worth a shot.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_rehab.htm

[goat.livejournal.com]

Very cool link! I never knew a lot of that stuff, and I've done a bit of rehab work myself!

!!

[red-vinyl-kitty.livejournal.com]

EEP!

Let us know how it goes.. :/

[despora.livejournal.com]

I saw a website recently selling baby deskunked skunks... they are legal in this area as far as I know. Maybe if she has it destinked she could have a better chance at keeping it.

[blue-micha.livejournal.com]

Skunks are ILLEGAL to own, scented or de-cented in the state of Massichussettes unless the person is a wildlife re-habilitator and has licences to keep the animal. Best bet is to try the zillion of links people gave and really hope for the best. Wish I could give more info but this is all I know because at one point I wanted a pet skunk. Maby try friends in other states? I dunno wich other states around allow them though... :-S good luck

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately you can't take the skunk across state borders, that's another MA law, you can't relocate Rabies Vector species, esspecially skunks and racoons. It's the only way to try and prevent the spread of rabies as best they can.

The links people sent out are good...I know it feels like you're on a constant wild goose chase (no pun intended), but it's what you have to do to get anywhere....Birds are one problem, Mammals are a freaking mess (in more ways than one!)

if I get a chance tomorrow I'll try calling Tufts Wildlife to see if they have rehabbers willing to take it, but I doubt I'll be able to get a hold, and I doubt anyone will be willing...it's baby season in full swing, and most rehabbers are so short staffed and time-strapped they are over capacity by the 2nd week of May and full till August. It sucks but until more people take the 24/7 job of a rehabber and the fed and state training/licsencing this situation will repeat itself a bazillion times this summer, and the next summer, and so on.

Whoever answered the phone at ARL and told the person off the bat they would shoot the skunk was either having a really bad fucking day and wasn't smart enough to hand the phone to someone else, or was just a moron. Never tell a panicked person you'd kill an animal they brought it for whatever reason, because then the panicked person is probably going to keep it illegally and "protect" the animal, likely seriously injuring the animal further and/or killing it accidentally. I've see that happen too many times before.

The sad truth is that ARL and MSPCA are easily flooding with unnessesary "rescues" and then have to feed dozens of animals, which means money and time sucked away really fast, and those places run primarily on donations.

Try calling facilities first, never bring an animal, esspecially a mammal, to a facility before calling. I'd also try NE Wildlife Center in Hingham - http://www.newildlife.com/ they might be able to help you out if not possibly take it...Although Hingham is a haul for you, but it's an option nontheless.

I hope in the meantime momma stinker will come by tonite and wisk lil stinker away and problem solved. You've already had 2 baby animal encounters you don't need! Remember, more babies are on the way! :P

[flopart.livejournal.com]

Aww, poor baby skunky. I'll take it! I live in the boonies anyway! I love wild animals. *gingerly snuggles it* D:

[morgan-lafaye.livejournal.com]

Did you try Temper, she might still be able to get to the Ecotuim(damn place where she worked<can't spell dumb name) They might be able to take it. Good luck.

[morgan-lafaye.livejournal.com]

Seem part of my post disappeared. However talk to Temper her old job might be able to take the little one.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

My god, peoples, it's just a bloody skunk! It's not like they're exactly endangered... You know, animals do die in nature. If they didn't other animals / critters / fungi / bacterium / etc would die of starvation!

Sorry... that's my 2 cents, when the cute fellow isn't actually looking me in the face.

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

That's what many of us think with our inside voice. Believe me if you've worked in Wildlife and dealt with public, you would think this logic would come across fairly easily...but it never does and it never will.

The best advice is "If you care, leave it there" - but even at that some people feel the strong nurturing need to take care of / "rescue" / "save" every single little animal...And that is both impossible, unfair, and not nature's way, but try explaining that to someone who's nearly going into hysterics because they believe noone else seems to care, well, it all goes downhill from there.

it's just human nature, and it's a very strong emotion to try and curb. But it can also be a very powerful lesson in life/death and the order of the world....And if anyone is getting steamed at these comments, I'd advise you to take that energy and talk with the Government Environmental agencies and your state/fed Reps and Senators and ask them about improving wildlife care and public education. (don't bother with Fish and Wildlife, they're middlemen in terms of policy)

The other thing is that when someone decides to take matters into thier own hands and try to "help" an animal, whether it needs it or not, now that they have become "committed" to helping, it is now thier responsibility to get the animal to the professionals to properly care for it....Even if that means 5 million phonecalls to nowhere, driving an hour out of your way to bring it to a rehabber or center, paying out of pocket for animal medical care (and that is what most rehabbers and care centers do as well, out of pocket/donation) It's not designed to be a hassle to discourage people from helping, that's the result of several other factors; but it can serve as a reminder that it is better to let nature sort it all out, for better or for worse, as much as we all hate to see an animal suffer or possibly be "abandoned".

...just part of that big ol Catch-22 that makes this world spin around.