Skunks - Are they next?

[Andy]

So basically the RCVS are saying that since they deem it as a procedure that only benefits the keeper and not the skunk itself, then it cannot be done. I suppose in a way it makes sense in my humble opinion. I dont have a problem with people wanting it and having it done by the way I can just see why it is a hotly debated subject in the skunk keeping world.

[loulou]

This is a highly debatable topic, and often gets heated.

Personal opinion, I do not think that it is an intrusive op I am lucky I have had a blow by blow of the procedure from a vet that used to do the op. I have also seen the skunk kits go in for an op and be returned from it, it was 20 minutes all in all per kit and the longest part was actually knocking them out. I see one of these skunks in question on nearly a daily basis and she is wonderful! would she have the indoor cushdy lifestyle she has now if the op never took place? no i doubt it, if she was whole I expect she would of been in an outside enclosure or she would of been inside and the bonding process for her and her owner would of been very different.

But then the other side of the coin, I also know a skunk keeper who has a whole skunk, the bonding process is alot slower they cannot do what they would do with a descented skunk for fear of spraying in their home. The trust took a long time but they are finally getting there, they are nutty as hell though and i dont expect any normal person would have a whole live firing skunk in their home if they lived in the same place. There is also the fear from landlords, what would your landlord say if you had a live firing skunk in your house? you would be likely evicted its something I know they do not shout about for fear of this.

You cannot win with this little law, you can either break it and have descented skunks in your home or you can go along with it and risk ASBOs and eviction, a no win situation really. I

ts something that skunk owners (and exotic owners really as you could be next) need to fight we are losing our choices and this is not just effecting us but the animals as well.

NOTE: please no PMs I will not name vets or skunk owners names on this even though no laws were broken at the time.

[Andy b 1]

i wouldnt want a un-descented skunk thats for sure

had a few of them wandering about in canada

[TSKA Rory Matier]

Is this.

If the RSPCA are not looking to have an extension of DEFRA, what is the need for the vast cash reserves they have as coffers in their bank accounts?

Prosecutions and court cases possibly as was originally raised by Gordon.

What does the normal ten day court case cost nowadays?

If a body is looking to prosecute, then you make damn sure that you can afford it.

With £200 million plus, how many court cases could you afford?

R

[loulou]

Skunk Descenting

For anyone thats interested (I think this is american but you get the idea) skunk descenting op some photos (the second to last one is not included in the descenting op)

and heres some piccys of spaying a skunk,

Skunk Haven&#8482: Veterinary Care (pg. 3)

now looking at this (obviously we are not vets) which would you say is the most intrusive? oh and which one is illegal?

[Snakes r grreat]

Originally Posted by TSKA Rory Matier

Is this.

If the RSPCA are not looking to have an extension of DEFRA, what is the need for the vast cash reserves they have as coffers in their bank accounts?

Prosecutions and court cases possibly as was originally raised by Gordon.

What does the normal ten day court case cost nowadays?

If a body is looking to prosecute, then you make damn sure that you can afford it.

With £200 million plus, how many court cases could you afford?

R

And the best bit is, they have £200 million of donated money in the kitty, yet all the centre's have to fund themselves, some just about manage.

[Fixx]

I personally don't think this is the beginning of an anti-skunk campaign by the RSPCA. It's just coincidental that two skunk stories have cropped up on the same day. Most people are aware of a what exactly a skunk is and can remember Pepe Le Pue. Also bearing in mind that skunks are not well known or commonly kept pets in the UK, and not many are priviledged to know any skunks themselves, so have no idea of what wonderful 'pets' they make, it makes for an interesting story in the papers that people will find entertaining/fascinating/educational/shocking/unusual, and could well have been the most interesting bit of news from that area.

[Fixx]

The whole skunk who wenrt clubbing in Blackpool has now been rehomed to a lady in the Lake District.

[TSKA Rory Matier]

Hi Fixx,

Well that is super that the entire skunk is now rehomed.

Your summary of it not happening would be a blessing if it was not for the fact that inside calls always occur and we were notified that a campaign against the keeping of skunks could well have been on the books.

Your description of cloak and dagger not being effective is also not exactly that correct. I do not use cloak and dagger but l do use propaganda, and if raising awareness to a potential problem is sufficient to spell the message out to our watchers that we are aware then it may be sufficient a message to stop the mechanism in its working.

Rory

[Fixx]

Originally Posted by TSKA Rory Matier

Hi Fixx,

Well that is super that the entire skunk is now rehomed.

Your summary of it not happening would be a blessing if it was not for the fact that inside calls always occur and we were notified that a campaign against the keeping of skunks could well have been on the books.

Your description of cloak and dagger not being effective is also not exactly that correct. I do not use cloak and dagger but l do use propaganda, and if raising awareness to a potential problem is sufficient to spell the message out to our watchers that we are aware then it may be sufficient a message to stop the mechanism in its working.

Rory

So who has notified you "that a campaign against the keeping of skunks could well have been on the books."? In the original post on this thread you stated "it has been suggested" that a campaign may be about to be undertaken, in PM's to me you as good as told me it was definitely going ahead in six weeks time, and yet in your last post you state "that a campaign against the keeping of skunks could well have been on the books". So which is it? Is it definitely going to happen, or is it possibly going to happen? Either way, as I have already asked you here and via PM, where is this information coming from?

This is what I meant by cloak and dagger, the lack of a definititive answer to these questions, as I said in my PM to you, people will take more notice and possibly be willing to stand up and take notice and action if facts are posted rather than suppositions and "what if's". Your post entitled "5 years and counting" is another example of this, some will read it as scare mongering, some will read it as fact, yet nowhere did you say in your original post that the five years was in fact lifted from a comment by someone else on another thread, so this could be read as scaremongering or another "what if..."
Nerys also told Andy in this thread that as he did not keep skunks he was "probably not as up to speed on the issues as we are."
Well guess what, we keep skunks and this thread was the first we had heard of it too. At no point did neither you or Nerys think to give us the heads up, or tell us where this information is coming from or where to find it. I have no doubt you are passionate in your beliefs but unless you actually talk to those people that want to help, or could help then you are going to be fighting an uphill battle all the way. If you had told us where this information was coming from, then perhaps you would have had another voice in this thread helping the 'doubters' get the message.