# Why is de-scenting a skunk illegal?



## amylls (Sep 18, 2009)

As above....just curious.


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## callumcook (Oct 23, 2008)

well its not a natural thing to do, plus it can cause some serious damage!


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## ok1hurricane (Jun 15, 2010)

amylls said:


> As above....just curious.


Probably for the same kinds of reasons as why docking a dogs tail is illegal (and so it should be) Just a guess though.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

you have been posting on the other thread so im sure you have your answer already to this 

but its classed as a mutilation just like tail docking and ear cropping


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## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

I disagree with the ban on tail docking, I have a boxer and love the boxer look with a docked tail. A boxer with a tail is not how the boxer should look. I would love another boxer but would not buy a puppy again as I do not want a boxer with a tail. In my eyes the breed standard for a boxer is a docks tail!! 

As for the descening of skunks, my opinion is that is should not be illegal!!


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## amylls (Sep 18, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> you have been posting on the other thread so im sure you have your answer already to this
> 
> but its classed as a mutilation just like tail docking and ear cropping


Yeah i know but i do not know what the op really does so is it really mutilation?
Can someone tell me exactly what they do? to class it as mutilation?


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

I wish we had laws like that here in America....I hate the concept of NEUTERING or SPAYING (unless a health problem occurs and it is neccessary to save ur dog's life) because it's not natural, let alone docking and cropping just to make a dog LOOK different or cool.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

mat_worrell said:


> I disagree with the ban on tail docking, I have a boxer and love the boxer look with a docked tail. A boxer with a tail is not how the boxer should look. I would love another boxer but would not buy a puppy again as I do not want a boxer with a tail. In my eyes the breed standard for a boxer is a docks tail!!
> 
> As for the descening of skunks, my opinion is that is should not be illegal!!


 
so i read on the other thread but i disagree with you as............people end up buying descented skunks they have the prolapse prob an then want rid like the person on the other thread 

least if they are fully loaded then serious people will take them on an have a better chance of being passed about cos its was a whim buy an they didnt know they couldnt cope


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## callumcook (Oct 23, 2008)

mat_worrell said:


> I disagree with the ban on tail docking, I have a boxer and love the boxer look with a docked tail. A boxer with a tail is not how the boxer should look. I would love another boxer but would not buy a puppy again as I do not want a boxer with a tail. In my eyes the breed standard for a boxer is a docks tail!!
> 
> As for the descening of skunks, my opinion is that is should not be illegal!!


 
Matt seriously i boxer with a tail is how it should look as it is natural! and seriously do you no the problems it could cause, i dont think you do if you think it should be legal! :bash:


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## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

Emmaj, in response to your post, on the flip side of that is that someone buys a fully loaded skunk on a whim, it sprays, and they want rid.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

mat_worrell said:


> Emmaj, in response to your post, on the flip side of that is that someone buys a fully loaded skunk on a whim, it sprays, and they want rid.


 
LOL this skunk aint full load its descented an she wants rid cos it prolapsed................


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## callumcook (Oct 23, 2008)

:bash:


mat_worrell said:


> Emmaj, in response to your post, on the flip side of that is that someone buys a fully loaded skunk on a whim, it sprays, and they want rid.


 
well matt they either put up with it, or dont bother buying one, seriously its a defence mechnisum, its like someone pulling your arms and legs of so you cant defend yourslef!!


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## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

Not quite!! Lol. 
And as for the boxer comment, tail docking may not be natural but it has been a breed standard for years, to many people including mysel it IS how a boxer should look.


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

its illegal for the same reason that descenting anything (ferrets and the rest of the mustelidae family included - from what i understand) is illegal: its classed as an unnecessary mutilation. think of it this way: by removing the scent glands just to make them more 'suitable' as a pet is removing the animals primary defence aggainst attack/its fear response. removing a cats claws or a dogs teeth would make them more suitable as pets (removing the main problems: biting and scratching) but we dont do it because it would render the animal defenseless, not to mention it would be barbaric.

and people who buy animals on a whim will always want rid when it dosent conform to their expectations. how many dogs are got rid of because they wont occupy themselves all day, not mess in the house and not need walking.


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## callumcook (Oct 23, 2008)

mat_worrell said:


> Not quite!! Lol.
> And as for the boxer comment, tail docking may not be natural but it has been a breed standard for years, to many people including mysel it IS how a boxer should look.


yes quite LOL!
and not its NOT how they should look thats your opinion!


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

mat_worrell said:


> Not quite!! Lol.
> And as for the boxer comment, tail docking may not be natural but it has been a breed standard for years, to many people including mysel it IS how a boxer should look.


and to many blokes around the world women should have surgicaly enhanced boobs and blonde hair. would you go through surgery just because someone told you its how you should look? to hell with being natural?


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## slimeysnail (Jan 29, 2009)

amylls said:


> Yeah i know but i do not know what the op really does so is it really mutilation?
> Can someone tell me exactly what they do? to class it as mutilation?



The Animal Welfare Act states that tail docking is illegal.. Ie. It is ILLEGAL to remove part of, or the full tail, other than for its medical purposes/treatment. This is fact.. it is the law.. and has to be abided by in this country. Matt- Boxers were born with tails, so not quite sure how you can say that the breed standard is without a tail.. but anyway, it just goes to show why tail docking has been made illegal.. in 99% of cases it is unecessary, and is just done for ''the owners own wants/needs- as it is more aesthetically pleasing for the owner.. seeing a dog without a tail?!

So then we move on to descenting.. now obviously skunks are not as commonly seen as dogs and cats, but when the welfare act was changed to include tail docking as an unnecessary cosmetic procedure, skunk descenting falls under this act too! And basically any descenting procedure done in the UK, will now fall under the act as mutilation of an animal- as it is a prohibitted procedure, and hence illegal! 

Amylls, do you want to know exactly what instruments are used in the descenting procedure or? I am unsure what information you actually want.. and why you want it!! Descenting is illegal in this country, that is fact. Just the same as Cannabis smoking is illegal in this country too.. there is no escaping the law. Descenting is seen as a cosmetical procedure.. after all what advantage does it really have for the skunk? Not many advantages that I know of. The advantages are more for the humans that are wanting these creatures as pets. There are certainly disadvantages- lack of defence, possibility of prolapse.. etc etc. 

Amylls, the procedure is mutilating part of an animal that does not need messing with!! Thats how it is classed as mutilation. Taking bits out which have no reason to be taken out, other than for our own pleasure- to have an almost ''wild'' animal as a pet, without its natural defence. 

Emmaj, I totally agree that people taking on fully loaded skunks probably learn to respect their animals a lot more than perhaps having a poor little defenseless descented baby- that cant fight back or express its fear in its own natural way. Its almost like forcing the animal to resort to a different way of expressing its mood.. even if that is the poor thing running off petrified, and losing its confidence when we push it too far.. 

Ah I am rambling.. :whistling2::blush:


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## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

Miss ferret thats kinda my point though, of how many dogs that are given up and end up in a rescue and then rehomed by the rescue are neutered because they are stopping the next generation of unwanted pets but also because of boisterous behaviour. Chop the boll***s of it calms them down and makes them more suitable pets.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

mat_worrell said:


> Not quite!! Lol.
> And as for the boxer comment, tail docking may not be natural but it has been a breed standard for years, to many people including mysel it IS how a boxer should look.


 
thats so wrong its unbelieveable 

dogs should have tails no matter what breed.................

unless you have them legally docked then they shouldnt be an in my eyes even then they shouldnt be unless used for a specific job


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## slimeysnail (Jan 29, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> LOL this skunk aint full load its descented an she wants rid cos it prolapsed................


Yeh, the poor thing prolapsed- wasnt his fault, he didnt ask to be descented.. but he was.. and now she wants to send him back... 

Or is the problem the fact the skunk still smells.. and it ''shouldnt after being descented''.. who knows?? ((descented skunks certainly have a smell to them, my girlies stink too!!))


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## slimeysnail (Jan 29, 2009)

If the poor thing hadnt prolapsed, and the smell wasnt the problem.. do you think she would want a refund if he dug up her carpet.. floor tiles.. or wrecked her house !? :whistling2:


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## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

Ur all boring me now anyway. My opinion is my opinion and it ent changing!! And I got better things to do than argued with you all about it. This all strted off as a nice sensible conversation between me and the OP before it started getting into shi**y comments and arguments.


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

the first response i typed out to that would prob have got me one of those lovely 'inapropriate language on family forum' warning things so i shall draw back from the brink :lol2: but i shall just mention that your very sheltered if you dont know about the cosmetic possibilities of those :whistling2:


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

mat_worrell said:


> Ur all boring me now anyway. My opinion is my opinion and it ent changing!! And I got better things to do than argued with you all about it. This all strted off as a nice sensible conversation between me and the OP before it started getting into shi**y comments and arguments.


 
i caught your dummy ya want it back now or when you come back online ?:lol2:


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## callumcook (Oct 23, 2008)

mat_worrell said:


> Ur all boring me now anyway. My opinion is my opinion and it ent changing!! And I got better things to do than argued with you all about it. This all strted off as a nice sensible conversation between me and the OP before it started getting into shi**y comments and arguments.


 

where boring you WTF!!!
youve been boring us for ages mate !!!!


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## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

Nah it's ok. Keep it. Lol.


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## samhaines (Oct 12, 2008)

i have a fully loaded baby skunk and personally i wouldn't decent her and i show her a lot of respect so im not to get sprayed and even if she did id never get read of her :O she even trashes the house and eat my dads shoes :whistling2: and peas on his feet when hes just had a bath bahaha but still wouldn't sell cos of that :O think if u wont a skunk you need to take the responsibility for it.. its a living thing not a toy just to be passed on to place to place... a skunk is hard work but it pays out in the end..


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## Lenor (Jul 24, 2009)

Descenting is classed as a mutilation, and rightly so in my opinion. If you don't want a smelly animal, don't go out and buy the world's smelliest animal! Putting an animal through surgery and chopping bits of it before you feel you'd have it as a pet means you're not prepared to love and care for that animal for what it is. There's nothing wrong with not wanting your house to stink of skunk, I don't want mine to.... hence I don't have one! But for those who do want one, and have them accepting the risk that you might get sprayed at... hats off to you all, and you are the people who should be owning them, as you're prepared to look after them as they are.

And as for people who feel it's ok to put an animal through surgery just because they'd prefer it to look different...:bash::bash::bash: What the hell right do we have to do that to another living creature!!!


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## Infernalis (Jul 14, 2010)

Lenor said:


> :bash: What the hell right do we have to do that to another living creature!!!


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## Loderuna (Mar 9, 2010)

Just wanted to highlight a good point made in someone's post! Descenting removes the skunk's anal glands, meaning they can't spray. However, the anal glands are also responsible for lubricating faeces so that they pass out more easily - hence one reason why descented skunks are more likely to prolapse, as well as the potential permanent damage of anal muscles during surgery. 

Descenting does not an odourless skunk make; they have a smell just like any other animal - except me, cos my poo smells like roses! :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Dexter612 (Apr 2, 2009)

mat_worrell said:


> Not quite!! Lol.
> And as for the boxer comment, tail docking may not be natural but it has been a breed standard for years, to many people including mysel it IS how a boxer should look.



Exactly, it's a matter of opinion. Doesn't make it right. If it's how it should look, why are they not naturally born that way? If I think you'd look better with only 3 fingers, that doesn't justify me lopping some off because my opinion is that you'd look better, is it?


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## Big W (Jul 4, 2010)

im not saying it is right or looking for an arguement but on the subject of tail docking 

is its not natural, so should not be done

well is it right that we should produce breeds that have health issues such as bull dogs with short faces that cant breath, in my view that is not natural but no one seems to mind
and that is the way it is with most breeds, ridge backs for example have a deformed spine that is what gives them the ridge.


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## ok1hurricane (Jun 15, 2010)

mat_worrell said:


> Not quite!! Lol.
> And as for the boxer comment, tail docking may not be natural but it has been a breed standard for years, to many people including mysel it IS how a boxer should look.


Eh....breed standard....should look? You can't be serious. Standard implies other options so who gets to decide on them? Should look in who's eyes? You and a majority of dog fanciers?

Tell you what, if i ever manage to breed a new lizard morph (take your pick) and get it officially confirmed i'll start lopping their tails off and claim its a breeders standard. They fall off anyway if you grab em hard enough so where's the harm eh?


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Big W said:


> im not saying it is right or looking for an arguement but on the subject of tail docking
> 
> is its not natural, so should not be done
> 
> ...


I don't think it is right if an animal is bred with a health issue. I don't know much about dog breeds (cat man) but if bulldogs can't breathe properly then I don't think they should be bred. Cruelty.


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## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

Victor Creed said:


> I wish we had laws like that here in America....*I hate the concept of NEUTERING or SPAYING (unless a health problem occurs and it is neccessary to save ur dog's life) because it's not natural,* let alone docking and cropping just to make a dog LOOK different or cool.


Sorry but thats is a obscenely stupid thing to say. There are enough animals in rescue centres as it is because of indescriminate breeding and people not bothering to get their animals neutered. 
How can you possibly disagree with neutering???? Of course it's not natural! But then, nor is being shoved into a rescue centre or destroyed because there is no home for you once you've been born. Indescriminate breeding like this is the major reason there are so many homeless animals.

I'm amazed no one else picked up on this....

Cropping i'm on the fence about. Not because of breed standards or anything so cosmetic but because I've known quite a few dogs that have wrecked their tails from wagging them against everything. It mullers the poor doggies nerves and blood vessels and I've seen the problems that can cause. But that is totally different to chopping off bits of a dog because some prat in a top hat once decided boxers shouldn't have tails etc. It's disgusting and there is NO need for it. How KC could justify lopping off a dogs tail for the sake of breed standards is beyond me. 
The one thing I will say about having a fully loaded skunk is that there are still a few vets out there that will refuse to treat one. Strange but true.


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## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Loderuna said:


> Just wanted to highlight a good point made in someone's post! Descenting removes the skunk's anal glands, meaning they can't spray. However, the anal glands are also responsible for lubricating faeces so that they pass out more easily - hence one reason why descented skunks are more likely to prolapse, as well as the potential permanent damage of anal muscles during surgery.
> 
> Descenting does not an odourless skunk make; they have a smell just like any other animal - except me, cos my poo smells like roses! :Na_Na_Na_Na:


 
:roll2:
Nice one.
Thank goodness.....when will it all end?

Dave.


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