Having vivid images of the "Verminator" from Over the Hedge here...

Skunks are notorious carriers of rabies, and the early symptoms aren't all that evident. Not sure if your community has been designated as a rabies-prone area or not, but this is worth finding out. We've not had that great a problem here (I'm in Arkansas), but I remember from my time in Germany that large areas were designated as "Tollwutgebiete" or rabies areas... Foxes are the major carriers in Europe, and it's an open, year-round hunting season for these critters.

There are a number of striped skunks that frequent the western area of North Little Rock's Burns Park, where a sizable portion of the bike trail loops around... One of them appears almost solid white, and likes to hang out around the dog park. I've had a few encounters with him over the past couple of years, and there's a standard warning among the frequent riders in the area... "Don't pet the little white dog out there... 'cause he ain't no dog!" They are nocturnal, so you usually see them out on the trail at dusk, or on the occasional night rides thru the park. Gotta watch out for the deer out there, too...

Tom