Beloved pet squirrel Peanut seized by New York state after 7 years in home - There is no political solution. You are shooting your way out of this

Beloved pet squirrel Peanut seized by New York state after 7 years in home​

Published Oct. 30, 2024, 10:06 p.m. ET by Shane Galvin
Link (Archive)

A rescued pet squirrel that sat atop a social media and charity empire has been seized by New York state — with its owner saying it’s slated to be euthanized, according to an Instagram post.

Peanut the Squirrel was taken from his Elmira, NY, home Wednesday by officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation, who served a warrant to Peanut’s guardians after receiving complaints of “unlawfully possessed” animals, according to the post.


“Well internet, you WON,” the caption from account Peanut_The_Squirrel12 reads. “You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there’s a special place in hell for you.”

A DEC spokesperson confirmed to The Post that officers took away Peanut the Squirrel and a pet raccoon.

The squirrel’s owner, Mark Longo, claimed that he was in “shock” and “disbelief” that DEC was going to allegedly euthanize his pet and friend, according to the social media post.

The DEC said that the animals were seized in coordination with Chemung County Health department “due to the presence of a rabis vector species (raccoon) in the home.”

The state agency did not comment on whether the animals will be euthanized.

Longo took in Peanut seven years ago, when he was just a kit, after seeing its mother get hit by a car, according to social media accounts.

Peanut boasts 532,000 followers on Instagram, more than 423,000 followers on Facebook, and over 2 million views on TikTok.



Longo, a Connecticut native, moved to Elmira in 2023 to start an animal sanctuary named P’Nut’s Freedom Farm, a 501.C.3 approved nonprofit.


“Last year we moved to NY in hopes of starting a NONPROFIT animal rescue in PNUT’s Name. [P’Nuts Freedom Farm] will forever live in PNUT’s memory,” Longo wrote in the post announcing Peanut’s seizure.


“With over 350 rescues, we’ve relied heavily on PNUT and his internet family to father donations to help more animals. I don’t even know how will [sic] continue to fundraise for this nonprofit.”


P’Nut’s Freedom Farm is an organization made up of veterinarians and caregivers who are dedicated to rescuing animals from abusive or dire situations, according to the group’s website.


Following the announcement of Peanut’s capture, Longo posted several phone numbers for the Department of Environmental Conservation onto his feed – asking supporters to call in protest against the government’s actions.

There is also a petition to return Peanut to his rightful home.


This is not the first time the DEC is in public relations hot water over confiscating a beloved pet.

Earlier this year, the department confiscated a 750-pound alligator from a Hamburg, NY, home, which was outfitted with a massive room and pool for the reptile’s comfort.

“Albert” the alligator had lived in his home for 34 years and was raised from a hatchling by guardian Tony Cavallaro, who is now suing the department to regain custody of his longtime friend.

 

[Cardinal Cardinal]

Rip my nigga, Peanut.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

I thought Muttmerica was the land of freedom? You faggots aren't even allowed pets that aren't approved by the government? I thought this was the sort of tyranny muh guns was supposed to prevent?

Ferrets are illegal in California and Hawaii despite cats having the exact same risks to the envoronment and people. Somehow a fuzzy ADHD noodle is more likely to kill all the birds than a colony of inbred feral cats. I'm not joking.

These include concerns about biting, aggression, and how they tend to colonize if they run away, which ends up threatening native wildlife.

Good thing cats never do any of this. Nope. All those birds that went extinct in Hawaii? Ferrets did it.

 

[LaxerBRO]

I thought Muttmerica was the land of freedom? You faggots aren't even allowed pets that aren't approved by the government? I thought this was the sort of tyranny muh guns was supposed to prevent?

I don't think that gym bro had guns nor a pro-liberty mindset.

I'm serious that the dude should have just refuse to open the gate or his door to the government. If they don't go away, then send out a call for assistance.

This should have ended up with the NY Wildlife agents outgunned, retreating, and renouncing their desire to seize P'nut or the NY Wildlife agents along with their police collaborators dead.

 

[BrainSand63]

"We gotta kill the squirrel to see if it has rabies"

"But it's been inside for 7 years. If it had rabies, it would have been dead long ago!"

*Checks notes "The CDC says it might be Long Rabies which is a new and completely legitimate disease we did not just make up"

If you get bitten by a wild animal, that animal has to be tested for rabies more often than not. The definitive test for rabies is by isolating tissue from the obex of the brain, near the spinal cord. To get that tissue, after euthanasia, you have to decapitate the animal.

Just to add more context to Peanut and Fred’s fates. It’s not a nice situation, but it’s also not at all out of the ordinary. It’s pretty standard procedure.

Obviously this situation is tragic and not at all what anyone would want, but I understand where the officers are coming from in euthanizing and testing the animals. Next to anthrax, rabies is probably the most feared naturally-occurring, found-in-the-US disease that wildlife professionals have to deal with. It’s always fatal to other animals and without extreme treatment, it’s fatal to humans too. You don’t fuck around with rabies.

 

[Cedric_Eff]

literal.
fat.
karens.
View attachment 6592838

the heifer deleted her X account, along with a bunch of other senior Kamala supporters in her office

Allegedly the call for the squirrel came from a white woman in Texas. Some cunt named Monica Keasler.

 

[Executive Petrel]

He went over the NOUGAT BRIDGE

 

[Town Drunk]

If you get bitten by a wild animal, that animal has to be tested for rabies more often than not. The definitive test for rabies is by isolating tissue from the obex of the brain, near the spinal cord. To get that tissue, after euthanasia, you have to decapitate the animal.

Just to add more context to Peanut and Fred’s fates. It’s not a nice situation, but it’s also not at all out of the ordinary. It’s pretty standard procedure.

Obviously this situation is tragic and not at all what anyone would want, but I understand where the officers are coming from in euthanizing and testing the animals. Next to anthrax, rabies is probably the most feared naturally-occurring, found-in-the-US disease that wildlife professionals have to deal with. It’s always fatal to other animals and without extreme treatment, it’s fatal to humans too. You don’t fuck around with rabies.

If I let my cat run around outside, and fight feral raccoons, does it get confiscated and killed for my good? No, so this point is irrelevant. It's also not illegal.

Animals that are kept indoors and are not in contact with wildlife have the same odds of getting rabies as a celibate does of getting crabs.

I don't care if technically, the books say this is a wild animal, and it's a rabies hazard so etc....

The law should not be absolute, at some point a human should step in and use common sense, and examine the situation. These are you tax dollars at work, being wielded by control freaks.

Did this do anyone any good? Was there a victim in this? Was this worth anyone's time?

 

[Liarted]

If you get bitten by a wild animal, that animal has to be tested for rabies more often than not. The definitive test for rabies is by isolating tissue from the obex of the brain, near the spinal cord. To get that tissue, after euthanasia, you have to decapitate the animal.

Just to add more context to Peanut and Fred’s fates. It’s not a nice situation, but it’s also not at all out of the ordinary. It’s pretty standard procedure.

Obviously this situation is tragic and not at all what anyone would want, but I understand where the officers are coming from in euthanizing and testing the animals. Next to anthrax, rabies is probably the most feared naturally-occurring, found-in-the-US disease that wildlife professionals have to deal with. It’s always fatal to other animals and without extreme treatment, it’s fatal to humans too. You don’t fuck around with rabies.

Random dogs and cats bite people and law enforcement all the time, and they don't go running FAT tests on all of them.
Peanut was a pet for 7 years, not a wild animal with no history, there are documented videos of it not demonstrating any signs of rabies (aversion to water, drooling, etc.)
A pet held by a licensed owner of a pet sanctuary that would be aware of animal pathologies to look out for.
Finally, there has NEVER been a case of rabies being transmitted from a squirrel to a human. It is so rare even New York health gov website (https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/rabies/fact_sheet.htm) notes rabies in general are rare in squirrels except for a single circumstance, getting injured by an infected animal and escaping, which can be easily observed.

tl;dr There was no reason to dissect a pet for FAT tests when the pet does not display symptoms of having rabies.

 

[SlaanyChaser]

The guy's onlyfans is boring as fuck.

 

[BlackDragoons]

No, so this point is irrelevant. It's also not illegal.

In New York where this happened owning Squirrels and Raccoons is illegal.

 

[Catboy Ranch]

I bet a Redditor sent that so called complaint.
They can't test the squirrel and coon alive for rabies (hint: they can, it's just more work, slightly)? Enjoy your Reddit karma, I hope you die.

NYC has toothpaste locked behind cabinets and allows gangs of niggers to loot stores to replenish their White master's Amazon stores yet they'll send pigs to steal someone's pets. What's more dangerous to humans? A gang of coons looting rubbish bins and squirrels scavenging for food or one coon and one squirrel kept indoors likely being fed well and bathed properly?

Holy fuck this city is completely off the rails. My recent visit was just shocking. I had to press buttons to get fucking $5 bottles of shampoo, a complete insane contrast to less than half a decade ago. I guess that's where their money went. Seizing pets and lining up the public sector with Chinese spies.

Peanut wasn't in NYC he was in Pine City on the border with PA.

They drove TWO HOURS ALL THE WAY FROM ALBANY to come murder Peanut.

 

[Iron Jaguar]

If you get bitten by a wild animal, that animal has to be tested for rabies more often than not. The definitive test for rabies is by isolating tissue from the obex of the brain, near the spinal cord. To get that tissue, after euthanasia, you have to decapitate the animal.

Just to add more context to Peanut and Fred’s fates. It’s not a nice situation, but it’s also not at all out of the ordinary. It’s pretty standard procedure.

Obviously this situation is tragic and not at all what anyone would want, but I understand where the officers are coming from in euthanizing and testing the animals. Next to anthrax, rabies is probably the most feared naturally-occurring, found-in-the-US disease that wildlife professionals have to deal with. It’s always fatal to other animals and without extreme treatment, it’s fatal to humans too. You don’t fuck around with rabies.

The squirrel lived indoors for seven years; if it had been rabid, it would've died long before then.

 

[MadStan]

If Trump or Kamela has stepped in to save Peanut, it probably would have handed them the election.

Living in a society is sometimes horrible; and it’s the little nice things that make us civilized.

I wish death upon the bastards that waved at DEC about peanut forcing their hand. Some people are soulless killjoys.

 

[BrainSand63]

If I let my cat run around outside, and fight feral raccoons, does it get confiscated and killed for my good? No, so this point is irrelevant. It's also not illegal.

Animals that are kept indoors and are not in contact with wildlife have the same odds of getting rabies as a celibate does of getting crabs.

I don't care if technically, the books say this is a wild animal, and it's a rabies hazard so etc....

The law should not be absolute, at some point a human should step in and use common sense, and examine the situation. These are you tax dollars at work, being wielded by control freaks.

Did this do anyone any good? Was there a victim in this? Was this worth anyone's time?

The squirrel lived indoors for seven years; if it had been rabid, it would've died long before then.

I’m not defending what happened, I’m the last person to ever defend a government agency, I’m simply trying to shed light on why two pets were seemingly randomly euthanized. I don’t agree with the decision to euthanize them, but what I’m saying is that you shouldn’t be surprised it happened because wildlife agencies are so scared of rabies that they will do indecent things to animals to prevent it.

Also if your cat was bitten by wild raccoons and your vet found out about it, depending on your state, they could be required to report that to the state vet and your cat would be subject to either revaccination against rabies and quarantine or euthanasia. Whether that’s right or not, that is what happens.

 

[Escaped Abortion]

If you get bitten by a wild animal, that animal has to be tested for rabies more often than not. The definitive test for rabies is by isolating tissue from the obex of the brain, near the spinal cord. To get that tissue, after euthanasia, you have to decapitate the animal.

Just to add more context to Peanut and Fred’s fates. It’s not a nice situation, but it’s also not at all out of the ordinary. It’s pretty standard procedure.

Obviously this situation is tragic and not at all what anyone would want, but I understand where the officers are coming from in euthanizing and testing the animals. Next to anthrax, rabies is probably the most feared naturally-occurring, found-in-the-US disease that wildlife professionals have to deal with. It’s always fatal to other animals and without extreme treatment, it’s fatal to humans too. You don’t fuck around with rabies.

Those pansy bitches chose this line of work, get the rabies shot. My cats have to get one every year. Dumb cunts get bit being careless stealing people's pets, they deserve to go through a series of uncomfortable shots. If they don't like it, take a desk job.

Either the animals won't have rabies, but now they will be safe next time they dumbly get bitten by animals, or they would have been rabid and they would need the shots to not die. Imagine if every dog or cat that snapped at a vet tech got euthanized just for the safety of the person who chose to handle animals for a living.

They weren't wild animals. They were exotic pets that lived indoors. A stray cat is far more likely to be source of rabies, but cat ladies keep picking those up off the street and getting bitten without people thinking twice and that's an actual slight risk.

 

[Catboy Ranch]

The guy's onlyfans is boring as fuck.

It's literally Live. Laugh. Love. but he pulls his dick out.

And shiplap. Lots of shiplap.

 

[Mourning_Cloak]

I may be misremembering, but wasn't there a tumblr blog where they were keeping a fox? The fox was called "Vader", iirc, and despite it literally hurting no one some online narcs called animal control and they seized and euthanized it. Some people are just subhuman and want to watch people suffer by taking away things that are loved.

I don't have anything more I can add without fedposting. Poor little dude.

Animals sometimes need to be euthanized on the grounds of behavioral issues (though not enough, specifically "domestic" dogs, are) but I also know it's very common for seized exotic pets to wind up in animal sanctuaries. Many of the cats at the Big Cat Sanctuary were former exotic pets or seized from the pet trade.

Why are we going around pink juicing squirrels and foxen?

I remember something about the horse involved in the "Mr. Hands" video being euthanized because he'd been conditioned to wanting to rape humans. May not be true.

 

[Blewberry Nausea]

I may be misremembering, but wasn't there a tumblr blog where they were keeping a fox? The fox was called "Vader", iirc, and despite it literally hurting no one some online narcs called animal control and they seized and euthanized it. Some people are just subhuman and want to watch people suffer by taking away things that are loved.

I don't have anything more I can add without fedposting. Poor little dude.

To be fair I wouldn’t trust a tumblr user with a fox, too many furry fags up in that place.

It's literally Live. Laugh. Love. but he pulls his dick out.

And shiplap. Lots of shiplap.

He’s ‘very kinky’. That usually bodes ill. Unless getting naked for fags is based now in which case we owe Jack Murphy an apology.

 

[Iron Jaguar]

@Escaped Abortion

Reminds me of the time one of our dogs escaped from a travel crate that an airport employee did not close properly, then savaged one of the baggage handlers who tried to catch it. Dude was 6'4" and cried like a bitch. Dog was fine.

 

[BrainSand63]

Those pansy bitches chose this line of work, get the rabies shot. My cats have to get one every year. Dumb cunts get bit being careless stealing people's pets, they deserve to go through a series of uncomfortable shots. If they don't like it, take a desk job.

Either the animals won't have rabies, but now they will be safe next time they dumbly get bitten by animals, or they would have been rabid and they would need the shots to not die. Imagine if every dog or cat that snapped at a vet tech got euthanized just for the safety of the person who chose to handle animals for a living.

Again, not defending what happened here, but just to clarify, being vaccinated against rabies does not provide full immunity against rabies, it simply lessens the clinical signs. Even if you were fully vaccinated against rabies (which everyone in this line of work is required to be anyway) you would still have to receive extensive rabies treatments and multiple revaccinations if you were bitten by an animal confirmed to have rabies.

Just putting the info out there, again I don’t agree with what happened.