Tale with happy ending as escape artist pet skunk found 25 miles from Northamptonshire home
An escape artist skunk that did a runner from its Northamptonshire village home has been found safe and well 25 miles across the other side of the county.
Dominika, a female skunk, had been discovered missing by her owner Jayne McLaughlin from her home in Braybrooke near Desborough at the end of May.
Jayne had not seen hide nor hair of the stripy mammal for four months but after the Northants Telegraph published a story about the discovery of a skunk in Nassington near Oundle, friends alerted her.
She said: “I’m relieved. After the story was published I got so many messages. I rang the RSPCA but they couldn’t find a microchip. I got hold of the sanctuary and they said they would have another go at finding it. We matched the numbers.”
Dominika was spotted at the end of September under some garden decking in Station Road at Nassington by the homeowner who contacted the animal charity.
An RSPCA animal rescue officer went to the address and set a fox trap for the mammal. After being captured, the charity transported Dominika to be cared for temporarily at the Exotic Pet Refuge rescue centre near Peterborough.
Jayne is not surprised Dominika was found in ‘immaculate’ condition – and it’s not the first time the 16-month-old pet has gone on-the-run.
In September 2024, the skunk was lost for five weeks but was found scavenging in bins after 12 mile-trek to Corby via Market Harborough, and omnivorous, nocturnal Dominika is very capable of finding food.
Famously skunks have a notorious and smelly defence mechanism against predators, so her only concern was the pet finding enough water.
Jayne said: “She would have been finding food in bins. They have got very strong jaws and she’s very intelligent. They are nocturnal and travel at night.
“As a pray animal she’s fully loaded they can aspirate a brown liquid. If that gets on an animal’s face they can’t do anything for an hour they can attack bears, so a dog or fox is nothing.
"I worried that in the height of summer she wouldn’t have enough water, but she managed to drink from ponds.”
With Dominika’s skills at escaping, Jayne thinks returning her to live with her other skunks is unlikely.
She said: “She wasn’t designed to be a pet. She’s a free spirit. The others are happy to be house skunks. I think she was after a boyfriend.
"I’ve had skunks for over 16 years and they do make lovely pets, but she’s the only one like this.”
She is due to visit her pet and is looking to sponsor her former at a zoo or rescue centre, rather than bringing her home.
Jayne added: “She’s not a house skunk anymore!”