Rant about obnoxious neighbors

grassette

My neighbor has a skunk living under his shed, and won't get rid of it. His shed is 8 feet away from mine.

When my dogs get sprayed, they smell of skunk all winter, no matter how much peroxide solution I pour on them, especially my collie. There can be up to 20 skunks sharing a den, so I'm hoping this one won't get babies.

Sooo, what is stopping YOU from getting rid of it? Unless it is your neighbours pet, he doesn't OWN it. Skunks are wild animals, and if it is causing YOU a problem call your local animal control to have a live trap set. The only problem I can see you having with your neighbour (is once you have gotten rid of these little creatures), that he not block the nesting area for another family to take refuge.

It is his private property, and we have no right to be on it. His shed, not our shed. Animal control officers in our municipality will only trap skunks living on public property. What is on his property is HIS responsibility.

Good citizenship means bearing responsibility for the quality of life of the community as a whole insofar as your particular piece of it is concerned, whether its weeds, trees about to fall down, or skunks.

I think you completely missed my suggestion. I wasn't suggesting you go onto his private property to trap it.

If the skunk is a problem on YOUR property you can trap it if it wonders onto YOUR property .. If it stays on HIS property .. it's not much a problem for YOU, now is it? .. THat is, unless you allow your dogs to enter onto your neighbours private property, and get sprayed in the process.

In my experience, skunks are nocturnal and neighbourhood pests. Once they come out into the open, especially onto your property, you have every right to take care of the problem .. especially if your neighbour won't.

If you don't have a fence to keep your dogs away from pesty skunks living in your neighbours yard .. THAT is not your neighbours problem ... THAT is YOUR problem. I am certain, the skunk that lives under your neighbours shed is not the only skunk in the neighbourhood. That is a problem EVERYWHERE in the world. There are ways to protect your pets from skunk spraying ... use your imagination.

Will your animal control not allow you to borrow a skunk trap? I have never heard of any community that doesn't support the use of live traps to remedy a varment problem like this...Is such a common practice.


And I would NEVER suggest to use ammonia on a dog .. There are much better remedies for skunk oil than that. Ammonia has an extremely strong smell and to a dog (who has an intense sense of smell) could be extremely troubling. Buy a good quality skunk shampoo .. if you in a real bind ,.. use the old fashioned remedy of tomato juice and regular dish soap or .
Best Recipe for Removing Skunk Smell from a Human or Pet
◦1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide (from a Pharmacy)
◦1/4 cup baking soda
◦1 teaspoon liquid soap
..and as an added note ... be extremely cautious around their eyes.

I have to say, this is a really great post!!!

I disagree. What an obnoxious response! Glad I don't have him for a neighbor.

Really? How so?

Would you rather have a neighbour with a dog who taunts a skunk to spray in your back yard, repeatedly? THAT doesn't even make sense, not to mention wierd.

People should not harbour wild skunks, or rats, or vermin. Period.

livnlite

My neighbor has a skunk living under his shed, and won't get rid of it. His shed is 8 feet away from mine.

When my dogs get sprayed, they smell of skunk all winter, no matter how much peroxide solution I pour on them, especially my collie. There can be up to 20 skunks sharing a den, so I'm hoping this one won't get babies.

Sooo, what is stopping YOU from getting rid of it? Unless it is your neighbours pet, he doesn't OWN it. Skunks are wild animals, and if it is causing YOU a problem call your local animal control to have a live trap set. The only problem I can see you having with your neighbour (is once you have gotten rid of these little creatures), that he not block the nesting area for another family to take refuge.

It is his private property, and we have no right to be on it. His shed, not our shed. Animal control officers in our municipality will only trap skunks living on public property. What is on his property is HIS responsibility.

Good citizenship means bearing responsibility for the quality of life of the community as a whole insofar as your particular piece of it is concerned, whether its weeds, trees about to fall down, or skunks.

I think you completely missed my suggestion. I wasn't suggesting you go onto his private property to trap it.

If the skunk is a problem on YOUR property you can trap it if it wonders onto YOUR property .. If it stays on HIS property .. it's not much a problem for YOU, now is it? .. THat is, unless you allow your dogs to enter onto your neighbours private property, and get sprayed in the process.

In my experience, skunks are nocturnal and neighbourhood pests. Once they come out into the open, especially onto your property, you have every right to take care of the problem .. especially if your neighbour won't.

If you don't have a fence to keep your dogs away from pesty skunks living in your neighbours yard .. THAT is not your neighbours problem ... THAT is YOUR problem. I am certain, the skunk that lives under your neighbours shed is not the only skunk in the neighbourhood. That is a problem EVERYWHERE in the world. There are ways to protect your pets from skunk spraying ... use your imagination.

Will your animal control not allow you to borrow a skunk trap? I have never heard of any community that doesn't support the use of live traps to remedy a varmint problem like this...Is such a common practice.


And I would NEVER suggest to use ammonia on a dog .. There are much better remedies for skunk oil than that. Ammonia has an extremely strong smell and to a dog (who has an intense sense of smell) could be extremely troubling. Buy a good quality skunk shampoo .. if you in a real bind ,.. use the old fashioned remedy of tomato juice and regular dish soap or .
Best Recipe for Removing Skunk Smell from a Human or Pet
◦1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide (from a Pharmacy)
◦1/4 cup baking soda
◦1 teaspoon liquid soap
..and as an added note ... be extremely cautious around their eyes.

I have to say, this is a really great post!!!

I disagree. What an obnoxious response! Glad I don't have him for a neighbor.

Really? How so?

Would you rather have a neighbour with a dog who taunts a skunk to spray in your back yard, repeatedly? THAT doesn't even make sense, not to mention wierd.

People should not harbour wild skunks, or rats, or vermin. Period.

I can't agree more ... MY point was ... just because this skunk happens to live under the neigbours shed .. doesn't make it HIS sole responsibility. It's a wild animal .. it is not a pet. It's a neigbourhood pest. Therefore, if it's bothering you, and no else is doing anything about the obvious pest .. Then, quit complaining about it, and DO something about it yourself. There is no need to go over bang on the neighbours door and insist that he get rid of 'his' skunk. THAT's is NOT going to happen. THIS is suuuch a common problem. Neighbours often rally together to help rid their neighbourhoods of pests to solve the problem .. Not start a war. Pointing fingers at whose responsibility this is supposed to be accomplishes NOTHING!

Personally, if it was me .. I would be want to rid my yard (and my shed) of the obvious repercussion of having such destructive animal around. It doesn't even make sense to not to try to ... I have no idea why the neighbour has done nothing, considering it has sprayed in near vicinity of these two homes (which includes his own).


How is THAT obnoxious?