Mark Longo, the man who raised an orphaned squirrel for seven years and turned it into a social media star (612,000 followers on Instagram), declared following the animal's euthanasia that the act would not go unpunished, according to ynet reports. The killing of the squirrel by the authorities in New York State has sparked great outrage in the United States, and even the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, criticized the government for the action.
Longo said: "We will express our position regarding the way the government and the state of New York use their resources." He declined to elaborate on his next steps, but said government officials will hear from him soon about what happened to Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon, who was also seized and killed over the weekend.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation seized Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon from Lognon's animal sanctuary in the rural town of Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border, on Wednesday. The agency reported that it received complaints about wild animals being kept illegally and in a potentially unsafe manner.
State laws require people to obtain a license if they wish to keep a wild animal. Longo said he was working to obtain a permit for Peanut, as an animal he raises for educational purposes.
Longo said on Saturday that he did not see Peanut bite any of the officers who came to his home during what he described as a prolonged and rigid search that lasted for hours. Authorities in New York claimed that Peanut bit one of the officers.
According to him, the authorities have not spoken to him since they left his home. "Honestly, it still feels like a nightmare, that the country I live in chose me and took two of the most beloved animals on Earth." The country didn't even put them in quarantine. "They took them from my house and just killed them," he said.
In the state of New York, it was reported that Peanut was euthanized by the authorities to check if he carried the rabies virus. However, the authorities in New York did not respond to Longo's claims.
Longo also mentioned that he started taking care of Peanut after the animal's mother was hit by a car in New York seven years ago. Tens of thousands of users on Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms watched the animal with tiny hats, performing exercises and nibbling on wafers, which it held in its small paws.
Longo said that Fred the raccoon, who was also euthanized, was left at his doorstep a few months ago. After helping the animal recover from its injuries, Longo said, he and his wife planned to release the animal in the forest.
The case has sparked great outrage in the United States. After billionaire Elon Musk commented on the entire affair, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump also entered the scene. He seized the opportunity to criticize what he called the "misplaced priorities" of the state of New York. Trump claimed that the authorities are focusing on trivial matters like pet seizures, instead of addressing public safety and immigration issues.
"Peanut was innocent in every way, and if he had said he was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, they would have released him and given him a hotel room plus a $500 gift voucher for Buddy Squirrel snacks," said the presidential candidate. "Instead, he was taken from his family. Very sad, and a complete waste of resources! When we return to power, we will ensure that our country sets a reasonable order of priorities."
RIP Peanut the Squirrel, may you know peace in the next life and find justice in this.
