Mark Longo, from Pine City, New York, grieves and prepares legally after state environmental officers violently killed his pet squirrel.
In a distressing conflict with wildlife authorities, an Upstate New York resident's pet squirrel was seized and decapitated for rabies testing, sparking a planned lawsuit and funeral, the New York Post reported.
Mark Longo and his wife, Daniela, originally found the squirrel they named P'Nut when he was just an orphaned pup. They attempted to rehabilitate and release him back into the wild; however, P'Nut refused to leave. This strong bond ultimately led the couple to fully welcome P'Nut into their home, where he became more than a pet over the subsequent seven years. In fact, he became a beloved member of their family, known for his playful spirit and distinctive wardrobe, which included tiny cowboy hats.
Years after their move from Connecticut, where they first met P'Nut, the Longos established a 350-acre animal sanctuary in Pine City, New York. They continued their commitment to animal care, taking in another pet, a raccoon named Fred, alongside P'Nut. However, an anonymous tip soon led the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to their doorstep, and they received a complaint about the illegal harboring of wildlife.
The seizure then turned confrontational when DEC officers claimed P'Nut bit one of them. This alleged incident, which occurred during the forceful removal of the animals, led to the immediate euthanization of both P'Nut and Fred. The DEC explained that the procedure required decapitation to test brain tissue for rabies.
Longo discovered the fate of his beloved pets not through any direct communication with the DEC but via a media report. Shocked and saddened, he expressed his dismay about the government's handling of the situation. Mark stated, "I found out my animals were murdered through a news station. As a New York State citizen, my government had my animals murdered and couldn’t call me to tell me what happened. I had to read it in a newspaper."
The agency failed to return the bodies of P'Nut and Fred or provide any results from the rabies tests, which deepened Longo's grief. Mark noted, "But seven days later, the body hasn’t been returned. No results of rabies tests have been given." This uncertainty and lack of communication fueled his desire to take legal action.
The Longo family's ordeal cut deep, sparking a myriad of emotions and a determination to seek justice. Mark emphasized, "This is much bigger than a squirrel and a raccoon. This is about government overreach," and declared, "You violated my home. You assassinated my animals."
As an initial step in his legal battle, Longo retained Nora Marino, an attorney, and began reaching out to other individuals who might have faced similar government actions. He urges those with comparable grievances to come forward: "If it’s happened to you — if you know anyone it’s happened to — please reach out, we need to call for action."
Meanwhile, while Mark advocates for his and others' rights, sympathy from the community has poured in. A human funeral home even offered its services free of charge for P'Nut's funeral. The planned ceremony aims to provide P'Nut a proper burial, giving a voice to his beloved pet and, in Mark's view, shedding light on governmental overreaches. In Mark's words, "This should have never happened to begin with. But in a way, I’m glad it did. Because it gave P'Nut the voice to shed light on what’s going on in our government."
In response, the DEC has refrained from commenting on this specific case due to the ongoing litigation. However, this silence does little to ease the concerns of the Longos and others who fear that complaints can lead too swiftly to severe actions with irreversible outcomes. Mark questions, "What is stopping average Joe from calling and complaining about your neighbor now? If you complain enough, can you get a search warrant? When does it end?"
As the lawsuit preparations continue and the community rallies around the issue, Mark Longo remains steadfast in his quest for answers and accountability. He concludes, "Somebody needs to be held accountable for the massive overreach in power." Ultimately, he hopes that P'Nut's tragic story will promote greater scrutiny and reform in how authorities manage wildlife issues.
