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311 complaint of the day: Eastie is getting awfully skunky, and it's not because of an invasion of weed smokers

Skunk in a parking lot

As close as the complainer was willing to get (lower left), in garage at Border and White.

An East Boston resident files a 311 complaint imploring the city to do something about the influx of l'll stinkers in the neighborhood:

There seems to be an abundance of skunks in East Boston. We see adults and babies at all hours, not just nighttime. They hide under cars. We moved in last year and our dog has been skunked twice already. Not sure if it's been reported yet but I'm hoping something can be done?

Earlier:

Hyde Park woman saves skunk with its head stuck in a peanut-butter jar.

Neighborhoods: 


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Comments

try luring one into your car or house with a few sardines

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I am a long time resident of East Boston and this is not new. There have always been skunks. I remember when they first started appearing in the late 1960s, there was an urban legend that they had been introduced into East Boston to control the rodent population, but I never got to the bottom of if that was true or not.

I do have to chuckle at the 311 poster with their "not sure if this has been reported yet". As if all of East Boston began when they "moved in last year".

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36

The main things to be done are preventive: cover your trash cans (yes, again), don't approach skunks, and keep your dog leashed so it doesn't approach skunks either. I used to live near a park where skunks lived, and people would warn dog-walkers if we saw a skunk while walking in the park, so they could take the dog down a different path.

Most skunks will back off if they notice people--we're a lot bigger than they are, and they know it.

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Your dog was on a leash when skunked?

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21

But if your dog is repeatedly skunked, leash or no, that's on your dog ... like maybe your dog likes wearing eau du pepe? When you are a dog there are no bad smells - just interesting ones. I've known dogs with fenced yards who either never learn or like the result.

My cat got skunked once. She kept her distance thereafter. Do not mess with fartsquirrel!

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15

Skunk juice is like pepper spray when it gets in a dog's eyes. Still, some of them never learn.

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I say! Are those tyres too many tyres?

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19

The yard full of junk including those mosquito incubating tires might be of larger health concern. Skunks unless harassed by a dog or cornered by someone are pretty docile.
They also eat lots of things that threaten our health such as ticks.

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Not too many people on this here website use the British English spelling of "tire" you might actually be the only one to do so.

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I say! I’m not a stickler, if I’m fancying a “tyre,” I’m fancying a “tyre.”

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11

…. in the boot.

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More people who litter like it's nothing. Just think of all the good compost it will make. How's that rat birth control wprkin' out for ya? You better stop complaining about coyotes. Nature knows best.

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We had a super fluffy one in our Eastie yard years ago. I was so excited to see it from a distance. Skunks eat ticks and I'm always a fan of those types of animals

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19

They just want to dig up your yellow jacket nests and get their heads stuck in your peanut butter jars.

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30

Back in my childhood there was no wildlife and few bird species in the city, due to DDT, lead, and coal burning.

It's been good to watch the animals and birds come back.

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I thought they were all extinct when I was a kid.

I’m also pleasantly surprised at how many city people also like seeing them. And others are learning to fear less and enjoy more.

So much interesting information out there on how to make greenways for them through parks, green roofs, community gardens, vacant and odd shaped undeveloped lots and back alleys.

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Skunks are one of the most common carriers of rabies in Massachusetts, so sometimes there's a pretty big die-off -- just like raccoons. But I imagine in both cases it's pretty localized?

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