First They Came for Peanut; Then they came for our guns.

For those that aren’t on X, Peanut was a squirrel rescued as a baby seven years ago, and raised in captivity by Mark Longo. Peanut (and Mark) became an Instagram sensation with over a half million followers. Peanut lived with another rescued pet named Fred, who was a raccoon.

Mark runs a non-profit animal rescue and sanctuary. Someone decided to report Mark to NY State authorities for this.

The New York State police raided Mark’s home this week:

A total of 10 officers raided his house
He and his wife were not allowed to use bathroom alone
He was not allowed to feed his other rescue animals
They interrogated his wife about her immigration status
There were search warrants from 4 bureaucratic departments, including FISA.

This week, despite massive public outcry - both Peanut and Fred were murdered by the New York State Environmental police. Their crime was living in captivity.

To be clear:
"Based on the search results, it is extremely rare for squirrels to contract rabies. The data suggests that squirrels are not considered vectors of rabies and have never been known to transmit the disease to humans."

NEW YORK – Peanut the Squirrel, of internet fame, has been euthanized after the pet was seized by New York state earlier this week, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The seven-year-old gray rescue squirrel, commonly referred to as “P’Nut” on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, was put to death, along with Fred the raccoon, so that the animals could be tested for the presence of rabies, according to a statement from the agency obtained by WETM. (read more)

Associated Press – […] “On Oct. 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized,” the agencies said in a statement, CBS News in New York reported. “The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.” … Longo and his wife, Daniela, opened P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in April 2023. It now houses about 300 animals including horses, goats and alpacas, Longo said. He said he was in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal when he was seized. (more)

TMZ had an interview with the couple in New York who operate the non-profit animal rescue.

In the end, this is not about a squirrel. It is all about government overreach, illegal and overbearing search and seizure, arbitrary and capricious bureaucracies.