An Upstate New York man fears his pet squirrel was decapitated after state brokers seized the rodent from his dwelling – as a funeral is ready for the internet-famous creature.
P’Nut’s grieving proprietor Mark Longo informed The Publish he’s planning a lawsuit againt the state Division of Environmental Conservation after they raided his dwelling, took the squirrel away and euthanized it to check for rabies.
“I’m hoping to offer him a correct burial,” Longo informed The Publish of P’Nut’s final rites, which will probably be held via a completely functioning human funeral dwelling that supplied its house freed from cost.
“However seven days later the physique hasn’t been returned. No outcomes of rabies exams have been given.”
The DEC claimed it was compelled to carry out rabies exams on P’Nut and Longo’s pet racoon named Fred — and people exams require a pattern from the topic’s mind.
It’s a prospect Longo shudders to consider, and one he’s able to sue over.
“That is a lot greater than a squirrel and a raccoon. That is about authorities overreach,” he mentioned. “We wish justice for what transpired at my dwelling. You violated my dwelling. You assassinated my animals.”
P’Nut — a squirrel with a penchant for proportional cowboy hats — was raised by Longo and his spouse of their dwelling for seven years since they rescued him as an orphaned pup.
After rehabilitating the helpless animal for eight months they launched him — however he refused to go away, so that they took him into their dwelling full time, based on the couple.
In these years the squirrel amassed a following on social media, and impressed the Longos to relocate from Connecticut and open a 350-acre animal sanctuary upstate in Pine Metropolis.
However in October that each one got here crashing down when the DEC confirmed up in response to an nameless criticism in regards to the Longos housing P’Nut and Fred of their dwelling, and after tearing the home aside left with the animals. P’Nut supposedly bit one of many brokers on the hand in the course of the operation, prompting the DEC to euthanize each animals.
And Longo hasn’t heard a phrase from the DEC since.
“I acquired wind of my animals being murdered via a information station,” Longo mentioned. “I, as a New York State citizen, acquired my animals murdered by my very own authorities, and my very own authorities couldn’t name me to inform me what occurred. I needed to learn it in a newspaper.
“Someone must be held accountable for the large overreach in energy,” he added.
Longo has already retained an lawyer, Nora Marino, and hopes anyone who has had an identical state of affairs with the DEC to get in contact as they put together their lawsuit.
“If it’s occurred to you — if anybody it’s occurred to — please attain out, we have to name for motion,” Longo mentioned.
“What’s stopping common Joe from calling and complaining about your neighbor now? For those who complain sufficient can you get a search warrant? When does it finish?”
Over the subsequent few days, nonetheless, Longo is simply targeted on laying his furry mates to relaxation, with a service presumably going down at an Elmira funeral dwelling as quickly as Saturday.
“This could have by no means occurred to start with. However in a means, I’m glad it did. As a result of it gave Peanut the voice to make clear what’s occurring in our authorities,” he mentioned.
The DEC declined to remark and cited ongoing litigation when reached by The Publish.
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