I am all for letting creatures be. I actually mostly don’t discourage creatures. I have a service berry bush that I planted for the birds. I have milkweed in the garden, that although I did not plant it, I have kept for the butterflies.  My strawberries are a favorite with the local chipmunk and he shares the sour cherries with the birds.  All that being said, I now appear to be sharing my yard with an itinerant skunk.

I have nothing against skunks, and I do believe that a creature has every right to defend itself.  I just wish it didn’t feel the need to defend itself against my curious, optimistic, slow on the draw golden retriever.  She has been sprayed three times.  You would think all the negatives surrounding being sprayed would make an impact.  Apparently not.  Not only has she been sprayed full on the face all three times, she has been hosed down, tomato juiced, rubbed with toothpaste, had buckets of soapy water dumped over her, as well as being ostracized for the stench.  She only had to have the spare tire roll into her once, while traveling in the mini van, to create a life time of vehicular aversion (picture passive resistant dog flopped down on the road willing herself to be heavy instead of happily leaping into the car).  The impact of being sprayed has not proven to be long lasting.