I relaxed for a moment too long after dusk fell last night, typing on the recliner my weekly film news blog that will be posted a bit later this morning on syracusenewtimes.com as my dear wife Karen relaxed with a bit of TV.
Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle came inside from out back at a fast trot and stopping by Karen next to the couch. Although we’d put the spotlight on the backyard, we’d left the porch screen door open.
The smell. The look. Poor Ellie B was drooling and her eyes were on fire.
That freaking skunk had scored a direct hit, most apparently right in our beloved rescue mutt’s face.
Appetite returned this morning for Ellie B.
Oh, she’s OK this morning, back eating her dry dog food and ready for her routine.
Ellie B even allowed me to escort her to the backyard first thing this morning so she could take care of that doggie business.
The underside of our shed still looked secure. The Syracuse city skunk that’s haunting our neighborhood of Eastwood has not found its way back underneath. No, but it has been hanging outside our fence. We’ve heard it, and we’ve smelled its fainter blasts.
Apparently last night, because we let her outside too long, the dog went against the fence and upset the skunk. Retaliation most definitely was a big stream between the planks and onto our too curious dog.
We didn’t even hear a bark of warning. That’s what makes me think the skunk was not inside the yard.
The best concoction ever. (Getty Images)
We escorted Ellie B back out on the porch as gently as we could considering the situation and used the rest of our bottle of Nature’s Miracle bathing the front end of the dog.
I stayed out there with her, a bucket of cold water, and a wet rag as Karen went out to the market in search of more.
She couldn’t find any.
Later, I went on a late night run to two other places. None. I Googled this morning and found that it’s sold at Petsmart. We need more. The formula really works. We had enough to remove much of the stink from Ellie B.
But …
Our house smells like our skunked dog ran through it.
We smell like we helped our skunked dog.
We have detergents and cleaners and showers and soaps.
But …
Overnight, I don’t know how much my nose has become acclimated to the horror. What will the faces say when I walk into work an hour from now?
The victim is resting comfortably this morning.
Here’s the link for the image of Nature’s Miracle.
Have you ever gone out in public thinking you smelled like skunk, and if so, what kind of reaction did you encounter? Have you ever not been aware of a personal situation, and had somebody tell you about it in public, and if so, what was it? Have you ever been sent home from work when you didn’t want to be, and if so, why?
Mark Bialczak 
Oh no, poor Ellie!
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Much, much later and she still has the aroma, Heather. Ew, we can’t get it all the way out!
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Oh my word, I feel your pain Mark. One of our dogs once rolled on the carcass of a dead animal and it took weeks to get the smell off of her 🙂
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Ew. And yet dogs have better sense of smell that we do by far. Go figure, Heather!
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I know, she seemed to think that she smelled like the bees knees after that roll. She mostly just stunk of rotting flesh… 🙂
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I’m sorry I missed this post, Mark, and I’m sorry for everyone that was skunked. I hope everything is smelling and feeling sweet now.
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My poor dear wife Karen has cleaned and wiped and wiped and cleaned and laundered. It smells much, much better. But it still smells a bit. Oy, Ann. Skunkage.
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Mark, I hope you find things that don’t stink when you check out my blog post today.
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Poor Ellie B…dang it! Glad she’s on the mend. Shoot skunks much, Zak???
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I would taze it, Aud. Zap.
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Oh, no! Poor Ellie B! 😦 You know, they make stuff that repels cats from scratching your furniture… Perhaps they make a similar skunk repellent you can spray on your fence. Or maybe you can play cactus plants along your fence line so the dong and the skunk can’t get that close. Good luck!
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This battle is tiring me out, Rachel.
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Aww, Poor Mark. 😦 Yeah, I really do feel bad for you and your sweet pup. Hopefully the skunk will go away when winter comes anyway so Ellie won’t have to be bathed in the cold. (I don’t know if skunks hibernate??)
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I will have to check that out, Rachel. I can only hope.
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Me too! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you 🙂
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can’t say I ever got skunked (thank god) but for many years I worked with animals and there is nothing quite like the smell of skunk. I think even the poor doggy victims would agree! I did lay a shirt out the night before work once, and I didn’t realize it until later that my elderly cat decided to thank me for all my years of great care by peeing on it. When I got to work I kept smelling cat pee and it was me!!!! I was anti social and avoiding my co workers all day. LOL Very embarrasing moment, but as animal lovers we have to develop strong stomachs don’t we?
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Oh, that must have been some day at work for you, Upmom. That darn cat, as they say. Our house still smells like skunk. And it will for awhile, I’m sorry to think.
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This is NOT funny and I will NOT laugh. Until you say it’s okay. I feel so bad for Eliie B. What I MIGHT laugh at when you give permission is hearing how your day turned out at work when you walked in and if people avoided you all day……. I do hope Miss Ellie is completely better today.
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Miss Ellie B is a lot better than Mister Mark, Colleen. She is herself. I can tell I have a slight aroma to me. I’m miserable that our house has au de skunk as the primary scent despite everything my dear wife Karen has done to combat it. Go ahead, you may chuckle. Laugh, maybe tomorrow.
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Okay….no laughing. And I am sorry. It’s such a horrid smell. Some mornings I come out to head off to work and there it lingers, some poor pup or sap got it good and it lingers for every in the morning dew.
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Oh, I am so sorry for Ellie B! Mark, sorry for you and Karen, too! I am belated in letting you know that this is quite a shame! I have known this first hand, since my Toby was a puppy when he was stupid enough to roll around on dead fish, dead possum and dead skunk (once, Thank God!) Tomato juice worked a little but I am sure we were not able to afford another kind of solution. We also tried vinegar and shampoo! Sprayed him a bit with room freshener, too! Ha ha!
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The concoction works great, but we ran out and I have to go to Petsmart after work today to get some. Last night was my bowling league and I have not been able to get to that store yet! Our house smells still, Robin.
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Oh, so sorry about your house, is it better yet? Remember how nice and sympathetic you were to my moldy air conditioning water leaking out from all three floors into my carpet, smelly by the time I arrived back from my week away, (end of June to 4th of July)? I am very sympathetic to how you must feel that it is inside your nose, glued to your nose hairs. I feel worse for you, than my moldy water situation! Tons worse!
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Karen spent all morning scrubbing and laundering, and it got fainter. Not gone, but fainter! Thanks, Robin!
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Sounds like an epidemic if you can’t get the stuff you need.
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I am sick with skunk stink, Kim.
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Oh boy. Memories:). My dog got skunked when I was in high school and I’m sure my school uniform smelled to high Heaven, as did our house. Nature’s Miracle is amazing on carpet, so glad to hear it’s working on her!
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Yes, you never forget a skunking, Kay. Now I need to find more Nature’s Miracle. Still! Two days later and our poor house.
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aw, i’m so sorry for all of you. poor ellie probably feels the worst having taken the direct hit. i’ve never had a ‘contact smell’ from a pet skunking, but i did smell like a grill one morning apparently when i had roasted a chicken early in the morning, and there had been a bit of smoke in the cottage….people kept commenting on a ‘grill or smoky or burning smell’ all day
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That’s a funny one, Beth, at least nobody came right out and pointed a finger at you as the smoky grill bandit! Well, maybe not funny because you probably tired of hearing it! Nobody said a thing to me or wrinkled their nose even yesterday. I went into my bosses office first thing and he said I was OK to stay and work.
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Poor little Ellie B. We always used tomato juice on our dogs, but it took almost all of the juice I canned each year. 2 or 3 dogs and a barn full of skunks is not a match made in heaven.
BTW, I’m giving WP another try, and this time I think I wrote the password down–I hope, I hope. No more train wrecks though, now I’m just a Kentucky Angel.
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That’s too many skunks and too many dogs and my nose is twitching at the thought, Angie. Holy moly. And please don’t change your password, ever. I will check out your new place this weekend!
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The skunks must be on an invasion of North America! My brother’s dog got skunked about 2 weeks ago in Albuquerque, NM. They went online and found the “prescription” for the ingredients to de-skunk their dog (all household items) and it worked! Sorry about Ellie B. Hope you, Karen, and Ellie (and your house) all smell better now!
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Ellie B is fine. Me and our house, not so much. Windows are open. I’m tired of it, though. Great to hear from you, PJ!
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Poor Ellie B – poor Mark and Karen. Hope work went well for both of you today!
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Karen decided to work from home, smart woman that she is. I apparently offended nobody, the aura staying a foot around my nose only. Our house, though, Rachel. It will leave … I keep telling myself.
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Aww poor pup! We used to have a family of skunks that lived under our porch every year to birth and raise their young. Never got sprayed! I have never ever seen or smelled a skunk out west. Well that’s not quite true. Out on our secondary highways, I’ve smelled the odd road kill skunk. 🙂
Diana xo
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The skunk under your porch must have agreed on a peace pact with your parents or something, Diana. Lucky! It is awful. Still, on Friday morning.
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It is a horrible smell Mark! Did any of your workmates crinkle up their nose at you?
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Oh, no! You will have to explain to everyone that you are not just musky. Poor Ellie.
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This scent does not belong in a bottle, for sure, Kerbey. Ellie B is now rolling around on the coach as I type, so no worries about the pooch.
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Hahahaha sorry for laughing! I had the exact same thing happen when I worked night shift at the hospital– my dog was skunked about 20 minutes before I had to leave. The house REEKED for days and it was in my hair and clothes when I got to work. Fun times. Maybe they’ll send you home for creating a hostile work environment?
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Yes, Aussa, you got the folks on that night shift, didn’t you? Last job, it happened the morning I had to go in, and I did get sent home. Yesterday morning my scent passed the boss test and I was cleared for all-day desk duty. The worst part now, as you mention, is that the house reeks for days. What an ugly reminder of the direct skunk eye hit of 2014.
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I love skunks… but they really need to learn to say it, not spray it. Teach a skunk to bark, and pet owners will forever be happy…
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God’s sense of humor was a bit off that day, wasn’t it, ESN? Egad!
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Ugh. The only thing worse than a nasty skunk is a nasty skunk with good aim.
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You said it, Jim. And from behind the fence, yet. And with it’s back turned, if I remember my skunkage correctly.
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I’ve heard tomato juice works. Never have tried it though. You poor thing, and poor Ellie B. When a skunk let loose near our house one time, our house reeked for days. It was awful. Sending you BIG (((HUGS))) your way! Love, Amy
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Yes, Amy, our house is soiled for a few days. I am not happy. Karen is doing her best. Good thing it is window-open season.
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Yeah, can you imagine if it was cold outside? My heart really goes out to you! (((HUGS))) Amy
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our sympathies. Nature’s miracle sits on our shelves
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I hope to get the biggest bottle at Petsmart today. Or order it overnight on the ‘net, Martha.
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Been down this road more than once. Yes, I’ve carried it in on me, for sure. The worst case I’ve seen was a teacher colleague of mine. She just reeked. She was mortified but, hey, class goes on.
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That can me a teaching moment for sure, Ross. Now, students, when you see a skunk … Run! Ugh.
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How strange that your dog’s name is similar to my name. Ellie B? My name is Ellie Belfiglio…
Great post…
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Our beloved rescue mutt was Ellie when we adopted her at 6 months old. And my last name. Thus you and she are connected, Ellie Belfiglio. Your poems are a good motivator for her. I read them to her. 🙂
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Yikes…those Eastwood skunks are tough!
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Yeah, DJ, and merciless!
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Poor Ellie B. She’ll be avoiding you now because you smell like skunk Mark. Hahaha! Good luck.
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Good one, Paul. I was wondering why my dog was turning her nose up at me. Ha!
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You know that commercial for Fabreze, I think it is, where they ask you if you are “nose blind?” That’s what happened to us after a week or so after Max got a direct hit in the face from a skunk. We thought the smell was gone. NOT! My parents (both of whom are incapable of not utteringing exactly what is on their minds) walked in the house and gagged. “This Place Reeks!” Sigh…… We were nose blind.
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Exactly, Barbara. You wake up in the morning and thing it’s faded. Go to work. Get home after a day in fresh air. Walk near the front door. The smell! Nose blind, indeed. Oh poor us.
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