Rabies Fears Prompt Tragic End for Beloved ‘Star Squirrel’: US Government’s Heart-Wrenching Decision

The New York Environmental Protection Agency forcibly confiscated the product after a netizen reported it.
Social media attacks supporters who “vote for Trump for animals”

A man who ran a private animal shelter in New York is claiming that his squirrel ‘Peanut’ was euthanized after being confiscated by the New York State Department of Environmental Protection (DEC).

Squirrel Peanut. [이미지출처=마크 롱고 인스타그램(@pnuts_freedom_farm) 캡처]

On the 1st (local time), foreign media such as CNN reported that on the 30th of last month, six police officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Protection were dispatched to the home of Peanut’s owner, Mark Longo (34), and confiscated his squirrel ‘Peanut’ and his raccoon ‘Fred’. reported. Longo claimed that environmental authorities raided his home without a search warrant, took away squirrels and raccoons, and euthanized them.

Longo posted on his social networking service (SNS), “Internet, you won. Because of your selfishness, I took away my most wonderful animal. I hope those of you who filed a complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency go to hell. Peanut is my best friend.” “He was the center of my world,” he said angrily.

It is said that Longo took Peanut, a baby squirrel, and raised him for eight months after Peanut’s mother died from roadkill seven years ago. Afterwards, Longo released Peanut into the wild, but the next day, Peanut was found in front of Longo’s house with half of his tail missing and his bones sticking out. Longo decided that Peanut would not be able to survive in the wild, so he began raising it. When Longo posted Peanut’s story on social media, Peanut suddenly became a ‘star squirrel’. On social media, you can see scenes of Peanut wearing a cowboy hat, eating food, or playing with Longo’s hand.

Longo, who initially worked as a mechanical engineer, also founded the animal shelter ‘P’Nuts Freedom Farm’ last year after meeting Peanut. He rescued and raised animals at risk of euthanasia across the country, including horses, goats, and alpacas. However, they complained that since Peanut was confiscated, donations to run the animal shelter have decreased significantly.

However, a New York State Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson said Longo was unsafely raising wild animals that could carry rabies and seized Peanut the squirrel after receiving “frequent reports from the public” that he was illegally keeping wild animals as pets. position. New York State authorities said in a statement, “Raccoons and squirrels were caught living with humans and confiscated because of the risk of humans being exposed to rabies,” adding, “There were cases of people who participated (in the animal investigation) being bitten by squirrels. “It was euthanized to check for rabies,” he said. However, the New York State Department of Environmental Protection reportedly did not respond to CNN’s question about whether Peanut was really euthanized.

In relation to this, Longo claimed that he submitted documents to the authorities to certify Peanut as an ‘educational animal’. “If we haven’t followed the rules, please guide us in the right direction so we can follow them,” he said. “Please let Peanut live at home and tell us what to do so we don’t have to worry about him being taken somewhere else.”

Longo is not the first person to lose a pet to the New York State Department of Environmental Protection. Last March, a man whose alligator was confiscated by the Environmental Protection Agency sued the agency to get it back.

An AI (artificial intelligence) image depicting a squirrel on Trump’s shoulder continues to be shared, especially among Trump supporters. [이미지출처=엑스(X·옛 트위터) 캡처]

In particular, leading figures are participating in the debate ahead of the US presidential election. Musk, a representative Donald Trump supporter, posted a post on An AI (artificial intelligence) image depicting a squirrel on Trump’s shoulder continues to be shared, especially among Trump supporters. Far-right activist Robbie Starbuck said to

Reporter Gunari forsythia26@asiae.co.kr