This is an edited version of an article originally published on September 2nd, 2025 by .
North Ridgeville, Ohio, resident Deb Cipriani鈥檚 day begins before the sun rises.
Before starting her full-time job at 10 a.m., she wakes up at 4 a.m. to take care of her skunks, all rescued through her nonprofit skunk rescue, Skunk Haven. Then, after work, she feeds and cleans their cages all over again. She hasn鈥檛 taken a vacation in years.
Cipriani founded Skunk Haven in , after her first skunk, Daisy, fell sick. Cipriani realized medical information for pet skunks was lacking, so she took matters into her own hands.
The Skunk Haven is now home to resources about pet skunk diets, care and what to do when they get sick 鈥� all norms she helped establish with her vet. She also makes herself available to help any skunk owner with issues they may have.
鈥淚 do this from the heart 鈥 am helping people 24/7 with their pet skunks, if they need any assistance,鈥� she said.
The rescue only takes care of skunks who were previously pets, meaning they are domestic, captive-born skunks that have their glands surgically removed.
Skunks have been kept as pets for centuries, including by peoples and Pilgrims. The animal typically has a lifespan of six to 10 years.
Celebrating skunks
To support skunks at the rescue, Cipriani started Skunk Fest, a celebration of all things skunks. What started as a small gathering in her backyard has now grown into an annual event at South Central Park in North Ridgeville.
鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 a mini vacation because I get to see everybody,鈥� Cipriani said.
The Skunk Haven fundraiser will be on Sept. 13, 2025.
Cipriani said the most important donations are monetary and in the form of paper towels, of which she goes through several rolls each week to take care of and clean the skunks.
鈥淚 feel very thankful and happy that people do support Skunk Haven, and we need support because we鈥檙e not like a cat or dog rescue where people are donating all the time,鈥� she said.
Featuring skunk-themed trinket vendors and events like the skunk costume contest, Skunk Fest鈥檚 main stage event is the crowning of the Skunk Fest King, Queen, Princess and Prince, all judged based on traits like temperament, tail and fur. The skunks and their humans are given rhinestone crowns to commemorate their win, Cipriani said.
Skunk Fest is also an opportunity for people to have their first interactions with skunks.
鈥淧eople walk around just like, 鈥榃ow!鈥� with their mouths hanging, looking at all the different colors [of skunks], because we have apricot, lavenders, champagnes, of course, white ones and beautiful gray ones,鈥� Cipriani said. 鈥淣ormally, people see skunks in the wild, they run in the opposite direction. At Skunk Fest, they鈥檙e not running from the skunks. They鈥檙e actually looking at them.鈥�
Skunks as pets
People from all over the country, and even from overseas, attend Skunk Fest, Cipriani said.
But although skunk love is widespread, owning a pet skunk is only in 17 states. Out of these states, six allow skunks to be kept as pets without a special permit.
In Ohio, the law states that pet owners must a license from the Department of Wildlife within 10 days of obtaining their animal.
Skunk Haven volunteer Renee Pearlstein said she refused to move to Alabama when her husband was offered a job there because she wouldn鈥檛 be able to keep her pet skunks.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e challenging, and they keep me on my toes, and I love them,鈥� Pearlstein said of her skunks.
She currently has three, named Violet, Luke and Sophia. She names all of her skunks with human names because they are her 鈥渇urry little kids,鈥� she said.
Pearlstein first heard about Skunk Fest when she called Cipriani in a panic at 2 a.m. one day 鈥� her skunk, Priscilla, was sick. That year, she went to the event, and hasn鈥檛 looked back.
鈥淚 went to meet other skunk people and things like that. 鈥� and then I discovered I had a thing for helping the skunks and getting people to give us donations,鈥� she said.
She primarily focuses on the educational aspect of Skunk Haven, touring local elementary schools to teach students about the animal.
Her favorite part 鈥� at these sessions and at Skunk Fest 鈥� is watching people change their minds about skunks.
鈥淎nd then you see him turn from the wrinkled 鈥樷�渆w鈥欌�� nose to 鈥樷�渙h, wow鈥欌�� with a smile, and that鈥檚 always a good feeling,鈥� Pearlstein said.