A nonprofit gets 12 NY state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers to invasively search their home and detain the owner for five hours, following him to the restroom and treating him like a drug dealer.
Then they killed his pet squirrel and raccoon.
Why?
The DEC got more than one complaint. One was that the squirrel was being “exploited”.
If the squirrel bit an officer, it was in self-defense, but squirrels don't transmit rabies to humans so he could have been taken to an animal shelter.
In the video, we see the owner, Mark Longo and his wife, state that they never got one complaint. “Peanut” the squirrel was the first squirrel on TickTock to reach 1 million followers. He has over 3 million, and soon to grow.
Just prior to this interview 👇, the Longo’s had just learned that the DEC had euthanized both Peanut the squirrel and Frank the raccoon.
In this interview 👇 , Mark Longo tearfully thanks people for their support and donations. He said Peanut was “the best thing that ever happened to us.”
This is nuts.
An upstate man whose beloved squirrel was cruelly killed by the state said he was treated like a “terrorist” when 10 government agents descended on his home during a five-hour raid.
Mark Longo, whose pet P’nut captured the hearts of 3 million social media users, was stunned when a convoy of vehicles carrying officials from the state departments of Environmental Conservation and Health arrived at his Pine City home Wednesday.
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. To add to our anguish, they informed the media of their decision before even notifying P'nuts Freedom Farm, his loving home. This demonstrates a troubling lack of respect and empathy. Their lives were precious, and we refuse to accept this loss in silence.
We urgently call on all of you to stand with us in demanding accountability from the DEC and the New York State government.
We must advocate for a more passionate approach to wildlife management to ensure that no other animals suffer such a fate. 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 Longo's to an unjust and humiliating experience. Instead of treating them with the respect and dignity they deserved, the agents repeatedly questions whether there were security camera's located in their home and, inappropriately, asked on 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.
We must demand that our wildlife agencies uphold proper procedures and treat all individuals with fairness and respect, regardless of the situation. The Longo's should never have been made to feel guilty for caring for Peanut and Fred. We call on each of you to join us in seeking justice and reform in how wildlife management is handled in our communities.
Join us in holding the DEC accountable for their actions and advocating for the reforms we desperately need.
Please continue to sign and share our petition, which now calls for transparency, accountability, and humane practices within the DEC. Together, we can ensure our voices are heard and the no other animals or families face this distressing treatment in the future.
Additionally, we want to emphasize that any remaining funds from our petition drive will be used to support the nonprofit P’nuts Freedom Farm in its mission to serve as a safe haven for other vulnerable animals in need. Your support is crucial in this fight for change. We are committed to pursuing legal action against the DEC, and we need your help to do it effectively. Your signatures and your voices will help us push for the accountability that is essential to prevent this from happening again.
Let's work together to create a more compassionate approach to wildlife management in our state. Thank you for being part of this vital cause. Your action today can lead to the justice we seek for Peanut, Fred, and countless others.
*All donations will be directly sent to the P'nuts Freedom Farm Benefit*
Mark and Peanuts Life together:
P'nuts Freedom Farm:
https://www.pnutsfreedomfarm.com
-Brianna Corona
P'nuts Freedom Farm Fundraising Manger
Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-peanuts-return-to-pnuts-freedom-farm?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link
This is a case filled with serious nonsense and concern. There are more questions than answers.
Maybe Peanut was making too much money, hence the complaint.
If the DEC investigation was focused on the raccoon, it's unclear why they would have touched the squirrel in the first place.
No matter what, this seems to be the best summary meme:
Accusing a Monica Keasler
We need to be careful not to accuse anyone without knowing whether or not it is true. See below for a post by Mark, who confirms one complaintant, reportedly a photographer from Texas who has since deleted all her social media accounts.
Upstate New York might be Trump country, but the way I understand it these were STATE agencies that were involved in this gestapo raid. Their only reason for doing so - because they can.
Republican authoritarians can be just as dangerous as Democrat authoritarians. And sadly it appears they can also be just as stupid.
Upstate New York might be Trump country, but the way I understand it these were STATE agencies that were involved in this gestapo raid. Their only reason for doing so - because they can.