The owners of Peanut the Squirrel have spoken out after the pet was seized and euthanized by authorities.
Mark and Daniela Longo suspect someone jealous of their success may have called the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to have the animal removed from their sanctuary.
“Maybe it’s someone who thinks I use this place to make a lot of money,” Mark told The New York Post after Peanut was put down on November 1.
Highlights
- Peanut the Squirrel was seized and euthanized by authorities over rabies concerns.
- Mark and Daniela Longo claim the DEC raid was triggered by a jealous tip-off.
- A fundraiser alleges that the DEC agents “failed to follow proper law enforcement procedures” when seizing the animal.
“They treated me like I was a terrorist. They treated this raid as if I was a drug dealer. They ransacked my house for five hours.”
Image credits: Peanut The Squirrel
Mark revealed that the beloved pet’s virality helped direct traffic to his adult content site. “Did this do wonders to my OF? Absolutely. It’s making a lot of money from this.”
Peanut lived on the couple’s 350-acre property, P’nut’s Freedom Farm, near Elmira, New York, which they purchased with the money they made from posting X-rated content online.
“I’m angry, I’m sad, I’m disgusted,” Mark said in a video, holding back his tears after the squirrel’s death.
“We fight and work every day to pay our state taxes, and they turn around, and they do this to a family.”
Image credits: pulte
In addition to Peanut, the DEC seized a raccoon named Fred. Both animals were euthanized over concerns about rabies, as Peanut had reportedly bitten an agent and had to be tested for the disease.
Mark is reportedly filing a motion to obtain the medical records of the officials who were in his house to see if they actually tested positive for rabies, as per The Post.
The decision to euthanize the squirrel was met with such criticism that Jake Blumencranz, a state lawmaker, proposed legislation to improve animal rights statutes, calling it “Peanut’s Law: Humane Animal Protection Act.”
"I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm disgusted," said Mark after the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) seized the squirrel
Image credits: Peanut The Squirrel
Peanut’s Law mandates a 72-hour waiting period before an animal from a sanctuary is euthanized and establishes an appeals system to ensure that animal refuge owners have “the right to humane due process.”
The squirrel became an Internet sensation after Mark and Daniela took him into their home seven years ago. The couple set up an Instagram account for their pet, where they posted photos of Peanut in various outfits—including a cowboy hat—eating waffles with Mark, and performing tricks around their home.
“Peanut faced adversity, losing half of his tail in a severe attack. Without developing essential wildlife instincts, Peanut became an indoor, non-releasable squirrel,” reads the sanctuary’s website.
The couple adopted Peanut after he lost half of his tail in a severe attack
Image credits: Peanut The Squirrel
A GoFundMe page titled Call For Justice for Peanut the Squirrel and NYSDEC Reform claims that DEC agents “failed to follow proper law enforcement procedures.”
According to the fundraiser’s description, the officials 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.“
Mark said DEC agents "raided" his house and treated him like a "terrorist"
“We fight and work every day to pay our state taxes, and they turn around, and they do this to a family," expressed the content creator
Image credits: Peanut The Squirrel
Animals showing signs of rabies must be euthanized for the submission of specimens to a qualified rabies laboratory for testing, as per the CDC.
The DEC states that it is illegal for young wildlife to be kept as pets. If someone finds a young wild animal that is injured or orphaned, the department recommends contacting a wildlife rehabilitator, who "are the only people legally allowed to receive and treat distressed wildlife."
Bored Panda has contacted the New York Department of Environmental Conservation for comment.