This is the story of a stuck skunk

The attempt to rescue a stuck skunk in Massachusetts seems to be a metaphor of some sort for life in 2017.

The skunk got stuck in a hole in the dumpster in Worcester, Mass., yesterday morning. The employees of a company tried to help it, but no luck.

They called the animal control officer. But nothing got the skunk unstuck, the Worcester Telegram reports.

People from a dental office smeared Vasoline on its neck. Nope. Didn’t work.

It would have to be cut out somehow. But the public works employees and the fire department wanted nothing to do with the task without the permission of the dumpster owner, who said “OK.”

But he said the city would have to buy the dumpster. $1,000, please.

The dentist agreed to pay the money. After all, the skunk needed help, and we’re still a species who will drop what we’re doing to help an animal in need, even if it’s a skunk.

In the meantime, the skunk bit a worker from a rodent removal service, so a veterinarian was called in to to administer a skunk sedative.

It worked! The skunk was freed and taken away by the removal company…

… which killed the skunk.