California: Petaluma animal-control officer comes to the rescue of skunk stuck in peanut butter jar

CALIFORNIA -- Put yourself in Mark Scott’s shoes.

The Petaluma animal-control officer arrived on fairly rural Eddie Court, near Cypress Hill cemetery, to answer a call for help Tuesday morning.

Scott arrived in the reporting family’s backyard to find a skunk with its head stuck in a peanut-butter jar. What to do?

When dealing with a distressed skunk, one hopes most to maintain a safe distance. But no bright idea for dislodging the Trader Joe’s PB jar remotely came to Officer Scott, for good reason a south county hero.

 

“There’s only so many options you have,” he said.

Moving slowly so as to not alarm the skunk and risk triggering an objectionable response from the end of the animal not in a jar, he approached cautiously, quietly.

Then he plucked off the jar and ran like a man of straw from a firestorm.

(Press Democrat - Feb 18, 2016)