Latest news with #P'Nut
New York Post
28-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
P'Nut the Squirrel was executed -- not euthanized, his owner claims in bombshell lawsuit
P'Nut wants payback. The beloved pet squirrel and his raccoon sidekick, Fred, were not euthanized – they were viciously executed by New York authorities, according to a blistering new lawsuit. On Oct. 30, a swarm of cops and agents from the state Environmental Conservation and Health departments descended on Mark Longo's upstate Pine City animal sanctuary. Advertisement The two animals were living peacefully inside Longo's home, but it is illegal to keep squirrels and raccoons as pets in New York, where they're classified as wild animals. 4 P'Nut was slaughtered 'not due to a fear of rabies' – but as a 'senseless act of violence' and 'obscene demonstration of government abuse,' the lawsuit charges. PNut the Squirrel/ Instagram During the raid, DEC officials claimed, P'Nut bit one of its agents through thick leather gloves, which required the state to euthanize and decapitate the animals in order to test their brain tissue for rabies. Advertisement Later, the state admitted the rabies tests were both negative – but it has never apologized nor returned the bodies of either pet. The episode, which occurred just before the presidential election, was decried by outraged animal lovers and conservatives alike as a vicious example of governmental overreach. Longo and his wife, Daniela Bittner, doubled down in a 40-page lawsuit filed Friday in Chemung County Supreme Court. 4 Mark Longo and his wife, Daniela Bittner, doubled down in a 40-page lawsuit filed Friday in Chemung County Supreme Court. LP Media Advertisement P'Nut and Fred were slaughtered 'not due to a fear of rabies' – but as a 'senseless act of violence' and 'obscene demonstration of government abuse,' the documents charge. The suit alleges the bite never happened – and if it did, the agent should have been vaccinated against the disease, and trained in the safe handling of animals. 'The fact that none of these factors came into play demonstrates one of two things – that there was in fact no bite, and this story was fabricated, or, if there was a bite, that it was due strictly to the defendants' own incompetence,' the court filing states. 4 'This is our opportunity to make change and seek justice for P'Nut and Fred,' Longo told The Post. PNut the Squirrel/ Instagram Advertisement Longo and Bittner said their demands for the animals' remains have been ignored, and that their killings exceeded the scope of the search warrant executed that day. The couple has suffered emotional trauma and financial losses since losing their star squirrel, who had become an Internet celebrity, appearing in social media posts, OnlyFans content, Cameos and other monetized media, according to the lawsuit. The suit names defendants spanning every level of local and state government, including state DEC agents Erick Dalecki, Richard McNamara, Matthew Baker, Steven Farrand, John Lifrieri and Joshua Crain — who executed the search warrant — along with 20 unidentified DEC investigators. Also named are Chemung County, its sheriff's office and health department, plus 10 unnamed county officials. The City of Elmira, its police department and Elmira Animal Control are also listed, alongside 10 additional unidentified city agents. 4 The lawsuit names state DEC agent Joshua Crain, who executed the search warrant for Longo's Pine City home on Oct. 30. NY State Dept of Environmental Conservation The suit seeks unspecified damages to be determined by a jury trial. 'This is our opportunity to make change and seek justice for P'Nut and Fred,' Longo told The Post. Advertisement 'I hope justice is done, not just for my clients, but for our civil rights, P'Nut and Fred, and all animals,' said his lawyer, Nora Constance Marino. The defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New York lawmakers push ‘Peanut's Law' to reform wildlife enforcement
(NewsNation) — New York state Republicans have introduced a bill that would give animals seized by the government a stay of execution. The legislation comes after P'Nut, an Instagram-famous squirrel, was decapitated by the government last year. 'Peanut's Law: The Humane Animal Protection Act' would require the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to wait 72 hours before any instance of euthanizing any seized animals. The only exception, according to the bill, would be instances in which there is an immediate risk to public safety, as determined by a licensed veterinarian. The 72-hour waiting period would allow families and sanctuaries to file an emergency appeal with the department, allowing the case to be reviewed by an emergency board including a licensed veterinarian, a public health official and a sanctuary representative to determine the best course of action. 5 takeaways from the Trump tariff drama 'It's veterinarians and families and individuals making these decisions as to the fate of these animals, and not bureaucrats and red tape that decide arbitrarily that these animals have to be killed,' New York Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz, R-Nassau, told 'Morning in America' on Thursday. While some have raised concerns the bill could put state environmental officers in danger if there is a rabies concern, Blumencranz said he's not worried. 'I don't think they would be in a situation where they'd ever be in danger, because if human life, or the life of the officer, or any instance in which humans may be in danger are at play, then they would not have to go through this similar due process system,' he said. New York authorities carried out a raid last year at Mark Longo's home after 'numerous complaints' about the squirrel, according to the Associated Press. Longo had rescued the squirrel seven years previously. On Oct. 30, 2024, the state euthanized P'Nut and Longo's pet raccoon, Fred, to test them for rabies after reports they had bitten someone. Longo disagreed with the decision and said that P'Nut had not bitten anyone. Maryland and Delaware fight over 'Orange Crush' cocktail Longo said he still has not received sufficient answers for exactly how the incident came to pass. 'Since Oct. 30, we have heard nothing. We've gotten zero answers, but we've been told we can do better by the state officials of the DEC, so we're really trying to understand what that actually means,' he said. Longo said passing Peanut's Law would be a step forward to ensure P'Nut and Fred 'didn't die in vain.' He added it would be an opportunity to advance animal rights and turn a tragedy into a positive moment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NY bill would give critters due process after P'Nut the squirrel was seized, beheaded by DEC agents
Don't tread on P. State Republicans are pushing a bill that would give animals seized by the government a stay of execution after internet-famous P'Nut the Squirrel was decapitated by the government last year. P'Nut's grieving owners Mark and Daniela Longo joined with state Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz (R-Nassau) at the state Capitol Tuesday to unveil 'Peanut's Law: The Humane Animal Protection Act' — which would require the Department of Environmental Conservation to wait 72 hours before euthanizing any seized animals. 'I sit here trying not to cry, but passing this law will be a movement to make sure that animal rights are not overlooked anymore,' an emotional Mark Longo told a large crowd gathered at the foot of the Capitol's Million Dollar Staircase. 'I loved those animals to death,' he added, referring to P'Nut and another pet named Fred the Squirrel that was seized in the same raid and also put down. 'And today is a day that we push forward to make sure that this tragedy never happens again.' The owner wore a tiny cowboy hat P'Nut had worn in social media posts pinned to his lapel. The critters were housed at the Longos' upstate farm before a DEC raid on Oct. 30, 2024 that officials said was sparked by anonymous complaints of animal mistreatment. The animals' heads were cut off by state officials within hours so their brains could be tested for rabies after the frightened squirrel allegedly bit a handler's leather glove — setting off a massive backlash to the DEC's behavior. 'His death stopped people in their tracks, from the president of the United States to the chief justice of the Supreme Court, to celebrities to everyday New Yorkers,' said Assemblyman Blumencranz, who pointed out that the tests which cost P'Nut and Fred their lives came back negative for rabies. 'They were not dangerous. They were not sick. They were not wild threats roaming the streets. They were rescues — loved, nurtured, and safe,' he said. 'Here is the cold, hard truth. It is too little, too late. Words don't save P'Nut and Fred, and words won't save the next animal, or the next family, unless we change the law.' The bill would also require an administrative hearing before any animals can be seized or euthanized from wildlife sanctuaries, unless their is hard proof of an immediate threat to the public. During the announcement Tuesday, Longo and other speakers stood before a lectern adorned with banner emulating the yellow Revolutionary War-era Gadsden flag — with the image of rattlesnake replaced by a squirrel perched atop the words 'Don't Tread on Me.' There was also a picture of Fred, and one of P'Nut in his tiny one-gallon cowboy hat.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NY Republicans push ‘Peanut's Law' after beloved pet squirrel was seized, killed by state agents
New York Republicans are pushing a new law to protect animals after a beloved pet squirrel and internet star named P'Nut was taken and killed by state environmental officers late last year. The bill, called "Peanut's Law: The Humane Animal Protection Act," would require a 72-hour waiting period before the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) can euthanize any seized animal. It would also give animal owners the chance for a hearing before the state takes or puts down their animals. P'Nut and another pet squirrel named Fred were taken from Mark and Daniela Longo's upstate farm last October after someone filed an anonymous complaint. Both animals were killed and tested for rabies, and both tests came back negative. The squirrel had a huge following on social media, with P'Nut accruing nearly one million followers to watch content of the critter and his Of Beloved Peanut The Squirrel Plan To Sue New York State Over Seizure And Killing By Authorities Once news spread on P'Nut's Instagram page, backlash over DEC's actions spread like wildfire online. At the time, everyone from Elon Musk to President Trump weighed in on the killing of the dear family referred to the killing back in November as "the whole squirrel thing" while on Joe Rogan's podcast. Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz (R-Nassau), who is sponsoring the bill, said it's about fairness. "This is about due process," he said, adding that animals should not be killed unless they're an immediate danger. Peanut The Pet Squirrel Taken Away By New York State Officials From Adopted Home, May Be Euthanized Read On The Fox News App The Longos, who run an animal sanctuary, say they were never told why their pets were taken. They hope the new bill will stop similar cases from happening again. Mark Longo said of the new bill: "I sit here trying not to cry, but passing this law will be a movement to make sure that animal rights are not overlooked anymore."Peanut or "P'Nut" was only a baby when the Longos rescued him. The squirrel adapted to his adoptive human family after his real mother was run over by a car when he was just five weeks old. "They were not dangerous. They were not sick. They were not wild threats roaming the streets," said Assemblyman Blumencranz. "They were rescues — loved, nurtured, and safe." Supporters of the legislation say it's a common-sense move to protect both animals and their owners. "Here is the cold, hard truth. It is too little, too late. Words don't save P'Nut and Fred, and words won't save the next animal, or the next family, unless we change the law."An attorney who represents the Longo family did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: NY Republicans push 'Peanut's Law' after beloved pet squirrel was seized, killed by state agents
Fox News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
NY Republicans push ‘Peanut's Law' after beloved pet squirrel was seized, killed by state agents
New York Republicans are pushing a new law to protect animals after a beloved pet squirrel and internet star named P'Nut was taken and killed by state environmental officers late last year. The bill, called "Peanut's Law: The Humane Animal Protection Act," would require a 72-hour waiting period before the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) can euthanize any seized animal. It would also give animal owners the chance for a hearing before the state takes or puts down their animals. P'Nut and another pet squirrel named Fred were taken from Mark and Daniela Longo's upstate farm last October after someone filed an anonymous complaint. Both animals were killed and tested for rabies, and both tests came back negative. The squirrel had a huge following on social media, with P'Nut accruing nearly one million followers to watch content of the critter and his OF BELOVED PEANUT THE SQUIRREL PLAN TO SUE NEW YORK STATE OVER SEIZURE AND KILLING BY AUTHORITIES Once news spread on P'Nut's Instagram page, backlash over DEC's actions spread like wildfire online. At the time, everyone from Elon Musk to President Trump weighed in on the killing of the dear family referred to the killing back in November as "the whole squirrel thing" while on Joe Rogan's podcast. Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz (R-Nassau), who is sponsoring the bill, said it's about fairness. "This is about due process," he said, adding that animals should not be killed unless they're an immediate danger. The Longos, who run an animal sanctuary, say they were never told why their pets were taken. They hope the new bill will stop similar cases from happening again. Mark Longo said of the new bill: "I sit here trying not to cry, but passing this law will be a movement to make sure that animal rights are not overlooked anymore."Peanut or "P'Nut" was only a baby when the Longos rescued him. The squirrel adapted to his adoptive human family after his real mother was run over by a car when he was just five weeks old. "They were not dangerous. They were not sick. They were not wild threats roaming the streets," said Assemblyman Blumencranz. "They were rescues — loved, nurtured, and safe." Supporters of the legislation say it's a common-sense move to protect both animals and their owners. "Here is the cold, hard truth. It is too little, too late. Words don't save P'Nut and Fred, and words won't save the next animal, or the next family, unless we change the law."An attorney who represents the Longo family did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
