It's skunk breeding season, so before you let your dogs out, make a little noise and give skunks time to move out of your yard, according to Animal Control Officer Chuck McCleary.
If you come face to face with a skunk, stay calm and talk softly to let him know you’re there -- skunks have poor eyesight. Skunks are very sweet natured animals and don’t want to spray you. Go about your business and avoid startling them.
Skunks will give you several warnings if they are scared:
1. They will stomp their front feet
2. They turn their backs to you
3. They will do a handstand
4. They will spray
If a skunk DOES spray, here is a good technique and recipe:
First, catch the dog (or the person!) as quickly as possible - don’t let them roll or rub on anything. If you have rubber gloves wear them. BLOT the spray off with paper towels.
Mix a paste from Dawn dish soap, peroxide and baking soda and spread it on the area. Let it sit for 10 minutes then rinse off and repeat.
If this happens to be on a human or hairless animal, leave out the baking soda. The baking soda is sort of like an exfoliant and is really abrasive to bare skin. (Our ACO knows this from being sprayed in the face by a skunk he was trying to rescue. The baking soda made him look like he had chemical burns).
Another note: PLEASE WASH OUT CONTAINERS YOU ARE RECYCLING AND PLEASE DON’T LITTER. Every year, our ACO rescues skunks with cans, yogurt cups, fast food drink cups, etc. stuck on their heads. If you come across a skunk with something stuck on its head, throw a towel over it and just pull the object off. Don’t touch wild animals with bare hands; some can have parasites or disease.