Charlottetown city council won't be tearing up its contract with a skunk removal company following a complaint that most of the captured critters are shot.

'How he disposes of them is not really an issue with city council.'— Coun. Terry Bernard

A resident asked council to reconsider the program after she learned what was happening to them. Coun. Terry Bernard confessed he was surprised to hear the skunks weren't being relocated.

After discussing the trapping program Tuesday night, council decided to continue with the current company.

The company owner "has permits under the provincial jurisdiction, which is legislated to handle nuisance wildlife. He's following those guidelines. So, as far as how he disposes of them is not really an issue with city council," Bernard said.

"There's quite a pile of them in certain areas of the city of Charlottetown, and when they do cause problems, people … want to get rid of it."

Bernard said the company has been doing the work with no complaints for more than 15 years. About 400 skunks are trapped and destroyed in Charlottetown each year.

Bernard said the city will work with the province to see whether there's a more humane way to kill the skunks, but provincial wildlife officials said the contractor is following humane practices allowed under his provincial permit.