Will the city or county animal services help me with a skunk issue?

The city or the county animal services do not typically address wildlife issues within their jurisdictions, and also the city is not responsible for the damage or actions of the wildlife. There are no mandates or policies that require these departments to remove the native wildlife. The animals are normally common and also an important part of the ecosystem, the circle of life and the biosphere. A department of animal services is normally created for dealing with the problems that arise from stray dogs, and they enforce the laws that pertain to these animals.

Wildlife such as skunks are showing up in human habitats in increasingly large numbers as their natural habitats are overrun with development and the expansion of cities and towns. This is one reason why skunks will need to be dealt with more frequently. However, this does not mean that city or county animal services are going to expand their duties to adjust to this ever-increasing problem.

The city or county animal service will offer their service when it is a stray and injured animal that is not considered wildlife. This means they might handle loose livestock, stray dogs that are biting people, and stray cats that are creating a nuisance. The officers will respond to you as soon as they are able to do so, and this may depend on how many officers are on duty, the priority of your call and the current location of the officer.

In the past, certain county animal services were involved in dealing with skunks and they would take care of the problem when possible. However, the problem with skunks has grown to too large and expensive to handle, and most of these counties have decided that they are not going to be involved in solving wild animal problems again. They have largely limited their services to the problems that are caused by domestic animals like cats and dogs. The wildlife issue may fall into the hands of the private sector and the state licensed nuisance wildlife trapper. If the problem you have is with a cat or a dog and does not require doing something hard like crawling under a tight space or in the attic, you should call the county animal service. If your problem is with a skunk, however, then call a licensed trapper in your state.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Skunks page or email us if you have any other questions about Will the city or county animal services help me with a skunk issue?