Skunk Lady Knows Her Little Stinkers

Skunk Lady Knows Her Little Stinkers AG WORLD 27-4-22 Jane Bone's skunks may be descented, but they can be little stinkers just the same. In fact, she compares her pets to 2-year-old toddlers, always getting into things. After 200 years of domestication, pet skunks come in almost every shade but blue and green. "They are wonderful little animals, very loyal and affectionate," says Bone. "But they go through the garbage and steal your clothes. You have to be a real animal lover to like them." Bone more than qualifies, having kept pet skunks for more than 30 years. Augusta, Georgia, may be most well known for The Masters golf tournament. However, skunk owners everywhere know it as the home of the Skunk Lady. Her website, www.skunksaspets.com, is jam packed with skunk information. Bone is not a skunk breeder, but she does operate a pet skunk rescue service out of her home. She takes in the sick, the obese and the diseased and nurses them back to health and old age, which can be more than 20 years. "They are great problem solvers," she warns." If they see something on a top shelf, they will sit and look at it until they figure out how to get it." Bone warns prospective pet skunk owners to check with local fish and wildlife officials to see if state permits are required. Some states have an outright ban on skunk ownership, while others require a permit fee. The second step in ownership is to find a reputable breeder, preferably one that has been in business for 5 to 10 years. "Avoid backyard breeders at all costs," she says. "Sometimes they will go out in the woods and bring home wild skunks and claim they are domestic." Having a good vet that is willing to work with skunks and is knowledgeable is vital, she adds. Skunks must be descented before they are 8 weeks old. They should be neutered before they are 3 to 4 months old. Bone explains that skunks can get quite vicious if allowed to go into heat. "Skunks are savage breeders, as the female is an induced ovulator and has to be beaten up by the male to ovulate," she warns. "Your feelings, toes or fingers could get hurt." Depending on where you are, a well-bred skunk may not come cheap. Bone says the price can vary from $100 in some areas to as much as $400 to 800 in Florida. The Skunk Lady offers to suggest reputable breeders she knows throughout the country. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jane Bone, 3315 Limber Twig Lane, Augusta, Ga. 30906 (ph 706 792-9737, email: JaneBone@aol.com;website: www.skunksaspets.com).

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