A New York man, Mark Longo, had his beloved Instagram-famous squirrel, Peanut, seized by state authorities during a raid on his home near the Pennsylvania border. The decision came after multiple anonymous complaints about Peanut, who amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
Longo said the officers treated him like a drug dealer and took him into custody without a search warrant. However, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation claimed the agency started an investigation due to reports that Peanut might be carrying rabies and was being kept as a pet without a license.
The DEC also seized another animal, a raccoon named Fred, which Longo had recently taken in. Longo is running an animal sanctuary, P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, and has been caring for animals for several years.
Longo fears that Peanut may have been euthanized, citing the emotional distress caused by the confiscation of his pet. He claims to have found Peanut as an orphaned squirrel after it was hit by a car in New York City seven years ago. Longo’s posts on social media express his disappointment and frustration with the authorities’ actions.
A Buffalo-area man whose alligator was seized by the DEC last month is suing the agency to get the reptile back. It remains unclear whether Peanut has been euthanized or will be released back into captivity in the future.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/new-york-pet-squirrel-seized-peanut-pnut-c2baa345d9e76416e0ca6d6e947ee272