Peanut (P’Nut) the squirrel, and Fred the raccoon, were the pets of 34-year old Mark Longo for the past seven years until they were recently obtained and euthanized by New York officials.
Longo who lives in Chemung County, New York rescued the pair seven years ago and created a successful online presence gaining P’Nut and Fred a large social media following.
P’Nut is largely popular and had over 700,000 followers on Instagram, now having 900,000 since his passing.
The pets were taken on October 30, 2024. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation came to Longo’s house and took the pets and he hadn’t heard anything for two days.
Longo claimed they came to his house with “at least six officers.” The DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) received multiple anonymous complaints about P’Nut. It is explained that Peanut bit an agent during the seizure of Fred and Peanut. Longo claims he didn’t see P’Nut bite anyone.
The next he heard of P’Nut and Fred, they had been euthanized to be tested for rabies. Although it is very rare for squirrels to contract rabies due to their small size, they would die from the bite before contracting it. Fred was more than likely taken because most squirrels that contract rabies get it from raccoons.
Longo stated, “Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them. They took them from my house and just killed them.”
Longo has recently asked fans to donate money to help with their non profit organization and their ongoing legal battles.
If you would like to donate, you can contribute at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-peanuts-return-to-pnuts-freedom-farm
