February is Skunk breeding season. Before you let your dogs out make a little noise and give skunks time to move out of your yard.

If you come face to face with a skunk, stay calm and talk softly to let them 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 your dog etc. here is our favorite technique and recipe:

Firstly catch dog ( person etc) 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 ten 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. ( I know this from being sprayed in the face by a skunk I was trying to rescue lol- the baking soda made me look like I had chemical burns)…

Another note: PLEASE WASH YOUR RECYCLING AND PLEASE DON’T LITTER. Every year I rescue skunks with cans, yoghurt cups, domed lid 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 as some can have parasites or disease.