New York’s government raided a social media star’s home and animal sanctuary in search of their pet squirrel and raccoon, which were both euthanized after the fact, to the disappointment of their loving owners and incensing social media.
Breitbart News reports:
On Wednesday, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation officers seized and euthanized Peanut, who was a social media star with over a million TikTok followers, as well as a raccoon named Fred, from Mark Longo’s home after anonymous complaints.
Longo wrote on Instagram, “It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news: on October 30th, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanize our beloved Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon. Despite our passionate outcry for compassion, the agency chose to ignore our pleas, leaving us in deep shock and grief.”
Breitbart News continues:
On Oct. 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized. The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.
Longo took Peanut in seven years ago, after he saw his mother hit by a car in New York City, the Associated Press reported. He was reportedly in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal when he was seized.
Longo described the experience, and the excessive force he believes was used in an interview.
“Ten to 12 DEC officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I was sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom. I wasn’t even allowed to feed my rescue horses breakfast or lunch. I was [sat] there like a criminal after they interrogated my wife to check out her immigration status, then proceeded to ask me if I had cameras in my house, then proceeded to go through every cabinet, nook and cranny of my house for a squirrel and raccoon,” he added.“Four departments, and a judge signed off on a search warrant for a squirrel in a raccoon. And then they took them and killed them. He’s helped people, he’s helped kids gather joy. … He was the cornerstone of our life and our organization.”
Trump supporters have since taken to social media and various platforms to express their outrage, arguing that the handling of Peanut’s situation reflects a troubling trend of government overreach, as well as a government with misplaced priorities and wasting taxpayer funds on trivialities as opposed to real threats to public safety.
Social media users noted that while New York’s rat problem is growing, presenting a real public health risk, resources are being wasted on detaining and wasting a trained pet squirrel, contained to one property, presenting no threat to the people of New York.
Seijah Drake was born in Boston, MA, where she developed a penchant for writing early on and a passion for politics in college. After college she worked briefly for a conservative media in New York before relocating to the Greater D.C. Area to pursue a career in political marketing. She now resides in the free state of Florida.
Funny how this very biased article omitted the fact that the squirrel bit and broke the skin of one of the impounders. They had to check for rabies, which is carried by many wild critters. Officials had no way of knowing how long Peannut had actually been in captivity. The only way to check for rabies is to dissect the brain. To my knowledge, no one has figured out a way to do that without killing the animal. 🙁
The raccoon was tested as well because it and Peanut had been in close contact with each other.
Tell me again. Who is more Hitlerish, Gestapoish than this type of action taken by so called officials?
Longo was treated brutally, almost as if he were pro-life or anti-tranny.
These are the same people who advocate to murder babies. They have no respect for life, human or animal. Just like the Michigan DNR in Rogers City who murdered an elk for walking around their town. Disgraceful.
Dems DONT Care for your pets
We ought to take notice of a BUREAUCRAT STATE’S HUMAN INCAPABILITIES:
A PET IS NOT A PET BUT A PUBLIC DANGER – if one that looks similar has been found sick 500 miles away!
THESE PEOPLE JUST HAVE NO SENSE FOR SMALL LIVING BEINGS – THAT EXPLAINS THEIR LOVE FOR ABORTIONS!