3 mutilated skunks found dead in East Vancouver neighbourhood

The SPCAis appealing to the public for informationafter three skunks were found dead in East Vancouver.

Joanna Makowskafound the mutilated animals in the same areaover the past few weeks.

She was walking her dog when she saw the first dead skunk in a field near China Creek North Park, near Great Northern Way and East Sixth Avenue,in mid-August.

"At the time, I thoughtit was hit by a car and maybe stumbled onto the field and died," Makowskasaid.

She didn't think much of ituntil she found a second dead skunk in the same field less than a week later.

She said a "surgical, neat" section of the animal'sback had been cut out.

'I started shaking'

On Saturday, Makowskafound a third skunk with a similar woundat EighthAvenue and St. Catherine's Street, twoblocks from the park.

"I started shaking right away," she said.

"I can't believe someone's doing this. It's disgusting."

The B.C.SPCA and Vancouver police have since opened files into the discoveries.

Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer with the SPCA, said the skunks' injuries appear to have been caused by a human.

"This seems very deliberate and intentional," Duboissaid.

She said it's the first she's heard of a skunk being disfigured in 15 years with the organization.

"Skunks aren't the easiest animal to catch, let alone [mutilate]," the officersaid.

Duboissaid the organization doesn't have any leads on what may have happened to the animals. Anyone who sees a dead skunk with similar injuries or who has information should call the SPCA's animal cruelty hotline.

The third animal's body will be sent for a necropsy to determine its cause of death. The first two were cleared by city crews.

The Fur-Bearersanimal rights group is offering a $1,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to identifying the person responsible.

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