Mark Longo looked out the window of his home in Pine City, New York, on Nov. 3 as a line of cars began to form like a funeral procession.
They were coming to pay tribute to Peanut, also called P'Nut, a gray squirrel who was more than just an animal to Longo.
For more than seven years, he was Longo’s adored rescue pet and a viral internet hit.
On Nov. 3, nearly a week after state health officials took and killed Peanut and Longo’s pet raccoon, Fred, Longo was left searching for answers.
In a phone interview with The Epoch Times, Longo said he was still heartbroken over the incident.
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my animals,” he said.
“They grabbed them inside my house. They put them in cages. They were scared to death.”
On Oct. 30, officers from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Chemung County Department of Health, and local police went to Longo’s home to serve a criminal warrant to search for the animals.
Under state law, keeping wild animals as pets is illegal. Longo admitted to violating this law because the animals could not survive in the wild.
Longo said he could not understand why more than 10 officers were needed to serve a warrant, which he said resulted in a five-hour search of his home.
He said they asked his German-born wife, Daniele, about her immigration status, and would not allow him to feed his other animals or use the bathroom without an officer present.
Longo said the most gut-wrenching part was watching Peanut and Fred being taken away in cages to be tested for rabies.
Hours passed before the Longo family learned from a media outlet that the state had euthanized both animals.
“We didn’t have laws during that time? What happened to the law during the first seven-and-a-half years?”
Mark Longo said he found Peanut in the middle of the road in New York City seven years ago, after the squirrel’s mother was killed by a car.
Longo took the baby squirrel home and raised him until he was well enough to be released back into nature.
No sooner was Peanut set free than a wild animal attacked him, and he was back on Longo’s porch.
Social Media Sensation
Longo started sharing videos of Peanut on social media. Soon, 3 million people liked him on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.“For seven years, we brought joy to the internet,” Longo said. “We‘d dress him up. He’d use the litter box. I'd clip his toenails.
“He made a dent in people’s lives in the best ways possible. He just never developed instincts for survival outside in the wild.”
This includes knowingly selling, harboring, bartering, exchanging, importing, or transporting any wild animal within the state.
“Fox and grey squirrels are regulated under game laws, which makes them illegal to keep as pets,” the site reads.
“The only people allowed to keep a squirrel as a pet are the ones who already had it by the time this section in the law went into effect.”
Five months ago, the Longos relocated to New York state from Connecticut to establish P'Nut’s Freedom Farm on 350 acres they acquired in Pine City.
There are 300 animals at the sanctuary, including horses rescued from slaughterhouses and auctions.
“We wanted to establish something in Peanut’s name. We wanted to solidify a legacy,” Longo said. “We wanted to make this about Peanut. He was a rescue animal. Why not use his name to help other animals?
“I don’t know how much evidence you need for a squirrel and a raccoon to get a criminal search warrant in my county to sign off on it.”
Longo said he suspects that unknown detractors on social media may have filed complaints about the animals to spur enforcement action.
Legal Action
In the meantime, Longo has hired an attorney Nora Marino from New York City, hoping to get answers—and justice.“I see horrible animal abuse cases where they don’t even get a warrant,” Marino told The Epoch Times. “This is just shocking to me.
“We are fully exploring every legal option and will proceed with every legal option. The facts of this case are outrageous and shocking—and heartbreaking.”
Marino said the alleged conduct by authorities was outside the scope of what was reasonable or appropriate.
“From my understanding of the facts, at this point, there is absolutely no evidence of anyone having rabies—Fred, Peanut, Mark, or anybody else. It’s outrageous,” she said.
“We must advocate for a more passionate approach to wildlife management to ensure that no other animals suffer such a fate,” fundraiser organizer Brianna Corona wrote.
“Together, we can amplify our voices and fight for the change that is desperately needed.
“The DEC agents not only failed to follow proper law enforcement procedures by neglecting to utilize body cameras when entering a property, but they also subjected the Longos to an unjust and humiliating experience.
“Instead of treating them with the respect and dignity they deserved, the agents repeatedly questioned whether there were security cameras located in their home and, inappropriately, asked one of their owners about their immigration status, treating them as if they were criminals over a beloved pet.
“This behavior is not only unacceptable but also a glaring example of government overreach that must be addressed.”
Longo said losing Peanut and Fred made him regret moving to New York state from Connecticut.
“I have some sleepless nights now thinking about it,” he said. “If I hadn’t uprooted my family to New York state, I'd still be having an amazing time with my incredible animals.”
