Opinions are somewhat divided when it comes to skunks, but many farmers consider them better mousers, and much better equipped to deal with rats, than the barnyard cats, and tend to leave them alone unless they get really annoying. Skunks seldom spray in their own den, so you can have a lot of them around without every smelling one, unless the yard dog gets after one.

Since they do eat carrion, in areas where rabies is a prominent threat they need to be watched very carefully for signs of "unusual behaviour;" and if you can't keep an eye on them extermination may be safest; but in many circumstances they're pretty friendly neighbors - as wild things go.

Personal opinion is that they - and most other wild creatures - don't make good pets, de-scented or not; but they're popular with a few nut-cases.

John