We all remember the execution of Peanut the Squirrel and his housemate, Fred the Raccoon by the State of New York. The execution was on shaky grounds at best, and seemed very cruel. Well, Mark Longo and his girlfriend Daniela Bittner have decided to take legal action against the State of New York.
On Monday, Red State reported:
During the 2024 presidential campaign, one story really seemed to hit home about government outreach, and that was of Peanut the Squirrel (also known as P’Nut) and his furry friend, Fred the Raccoon. The animals were rescued by Mark Longo and his girlfriend Daniela Bittner, where two little guys lived happily at his Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. P’Nut was even famous for numerous videos of his antics going viral.
That was until October 30, when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation decided to raid the sanctuary, take Peanut and Fred, and promptly kill them. At the time, authorities alleged that the squirrel had bitten one of the DEC officials. Due to a rabies risk, both pets had to be decapitated and tested for rabies.
On Monday, the New York Post reported that Longo and Bittner are now seeking justice for their late little fury friends, suing the state of New York. According to a lawsuit filed in the New York Court of Claims, the grieving couple is seeking $10 million after the state seized and euthanized Peanut and Fred. Subsequently, after the animals were dead and tested, the results came back negative.
The article notes:
The report read:
The killing of P’Nut and Fred was “not due to a fear of rabies” – but a “senseless act of violence” and “obscene demonstration of government abuse,” charge the new court documents, which list the state, the DEC and DOH as defendants.
The allegations echo those outlined in a separate lawsuit filed by Longo and Bittner on June 27 in Chemung County Supreme Court, against the county, the City of Elmira and 36 individuals from every level of local and state government.
That suit sought unspecified damages to be determined by a jury trial.
This was clearly a case of government overreach. Unfortunately, it will be the New York taxpayers who have to pay, but they are the people who elected their leaders.